Auction packs a punch or two
PETER Duffell’s hobby certainly makes an impression – and it’s a cut above stamp and coin collecting.
He is possibly the only man in the world with a hoard of paper hole punches. The retired teacher has more than 200 of them, some dating back to Victorian times.
Now Mr Duffell is selling his unique collection, which goes under the hammer at Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ Lichfield sale on September 4.
He will keep only one – a 1900 Swedish model.
The 82-year-old, who taught French, Italian and Latin, started tracking down hole punches in 1978 and says he was intrigued by the many machines and methods used simply to puncture paper.
The grandfather-of-six admits that some find his hobby eccentric, but tracking down rare hole punches has provided immense satisfaction.
“I bought one punch in the States – just one dollar to buy, and the shipping was 20 dollars,” he smiles.
“Modern punches use thin steel plate and plastic which have a colourful, aesthetic appeal to the buyer. That’s something older machines did not have.
“I believe that my collection covers the whole history of punches from the Victorian era to the 1960s and, with a little TLC, would be of museum quality.”
Mr Duffell’s collection ranges from the quaint to the semi-industrial, and there are punches from countries such as Japan, American, Czechoslovakia and Germany.
Most are the standard double hole punches but some can create four holes or more with one press.
Mr Duffell’s collection began with the 50p purchase of a Bullfinch punch from Lichfield Market. It was, he confesses, an “impulse” buy.
“It just looked interesting. I took it home, took it apart, took the rust off it, oiled in and displayed it,” he recalls. “In a curious way, it’s all down to Lichfield Market – if I hadn’t walked past at that point, none of this would have happened.”
Since then, he’s suffered for his art.
“Unfortunately, some punches aroused suspicion at Munich Airport once and had to be taken away for examination,” he confesses. “The punches, not me!”
He also mistakenly bid 1,000 euros instead of 10 for an eBay haul – and was unable to withdraw the bid. Thankfully, he managed to get the punches for 22 euros.
Mr Duffell started his teaching career at Aldridge Grammar School in 1964. In 1970, he moved to Tamworth Grammar School and became head of modern languages.
Nine years later, he moved to
John Willmott School, Sutton Coldfield, before retiring in 1991.
On retirement, Mr Duffell and wife Gill ran a bed and breakfast in Lichfield until 2005. He still lives in the cathedral city.
Winterton valuer Sarah Leedham says: “This is an absolutely fascinating collection, the like of which we’ve never before seen.
“This could well be the only hole punch collection in the world.
“There is such a variety of ages and designs – it is a cornucopia of delights for stationery aficionados and collectors of interesting and unique, well-engineered devices.”