Gotta catch ’em all as 270 cards go under the hammer at potbank!
Star Wars Lego also up for auction during TV filming
A SET of 270 Pokemon cards has been snapped up for £300 in a TV auction filmed in Stoke-on-trent.
The collection was amassed by Sue Dewhirst’s son Matthew, who died at the age of 17 from sudden cardiac death.
Now she has raised thousands of pounds for the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) by selling off the cards and dozens of other family mementoes.
Her ‘downsizing’ features in a new BBC1 TV series, The Travelling Auctioneers, starring Antiques Road Trip’s Christina Trevanion and The Repair Shop’s Will Kirk.
They went to Middleport Pottery yesterday to film the auction, which attracted bidders from at home and abroad.
For Sue, it was an emotional experience as some of the items going under the hammer had belonged to Matthew.
The 63-year-old, who recently moved from Ellesmere, in Shropshire, to start a new life in Cornwall, said: “My son died nearly 10 years ago. Over the years, I’ve raised £250,000, with 3,500 young people being screened for heart conditions.
“It’s so important. This latest money will go to CRY and to fund research.”
As well as the Pokemon cards, there were an amazing 22 lots of Lego Star Wars sets.
And one of the items attracting the most interest was a 2004 Fender Stratocaster guitar, which went for £900.
For each episode of the TV series, Will and Christina sift through a family home, identifying items which they believe will sell at auction. Will then uses his restoration skills to bring new life to neglected treasures.
With Sue’s mementoes, he picked out several pieces made by Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson. They included a cheeseboard, candlesticks and bookends featuring the artist’s famous carved mice. Will said: “I gave them a bit of a clean and wax. They have been very well looked after. They just needed a bit of TLC.”
The trio of items sold for a total of £2,370. Sue was delighted, particularly as the Mouseman pieces came with a unique story.
Her uncle served as Dwight Eisenhower’s press officer during the Second World War, before the politician became U.S. President.
They visited Mouseman’s workshop in Yorkshire and bought some items. The pieces were later passed on to Sue.
Other lots in the TV auction ranged from jewellery to a musical rocking chair. There were also several collections of pottery, including tree pattern dinner and tea wares made by Wedgwood.
Carl Norman, from Kidsgrove, snapped up several items on the day.
The 54-year-old, who works as a stuntman for TV shows and films, said: “I collect antiques. I went for these because they were cheap.”
He was most pleased with some brass weighing scales, which he got for £20.
Presenter Will said the TV series was all about recycling items rather than throwing them away.
He added: “We know many people out there have furniture and jewellery in their homes, which they don’t want anymore. We are really pro not throwing things into landfill.”
Christina conducted the auction with logistical support from Staffordshire-based Richard Winterton Auctioneers.
She enjoyed visiting Middleport Pottery for it. “It’s amazing. It’s an incredible place,” she added.
The episode featuring Middleport Pottery is set to be screened in summer 2022.
Anyone interested in appearing on The Travelling Auctioneers can find out more by emailing auctioneers@stv.tv.