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Pawnbroking
For over 100 years people have come to us to sell or loan memorabilia. From the weird and wonderful, to the down-right unbelievable, we’ve acquired some incredibly rare collectibles – even animals. We thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and share some of our favourites.

Livestock

We’ve loaned on all sorts of livestock including cows, sheep and goats. The animals continue to live a wonderful life out in the fields with their farmers, we just hold their cute little passports.

The passports contain their tag numbers so we know the type of breed we’ve loaned on (and the valuations are always conducted at the farm by a local auction house or independent valuer).

We’ve never had to do the milking, fortunately for us and the cows.

Some of the cows include:

  • British Friesian

  • Jersey
  • Simmental

The sheep breeds include Lleyn Cross, Texel Cross, Mule shearlings, Suffolk Cross and Shropshire full-mouth.

Princess Diana Memorabilia

Our most-loved Princess Diana piece is a hand-signed letter. It’s dated August 11th 1997, just three weeks before she tragically passed. The way Diana expressed herself in the letter is simply beautiful, a timeless reminder we must take care of each other.

Golden Pacifier

Born with a silver spoon in your mouth? Well we’ve upped that saying, how about born with a golden pacifier? Yep, we said it, we’ve loaned on a golden pacifier.

Fabergé Egg

21 Fabergé eggs were specially crafted to commemorate the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s Diamond Anniversary. Victor Meyer designed them to have a St Edward’s Crown at the top. They were made using bright red enamel, 18 carat gold and diamonds. Did we mention we acquired two? It was a pretty talked about event at the time. Here they are:

Stamp Collections

Stamps have been a long-standing friend to pawnbrokers. Believe it or not, there’s a fascinating history behind those sugary squares, particularly with the Royal Family. The same goes for coins too - the last batch of coins which caused a stir featured famous Beatrix Potter characters.

Military Memorabilia

We’ve had customers selling WW2 Memorabilia, varying from uniform, artwork and accessories from both Axis and Allied forces. These items act as stark reminders of the atrocities of the past, the immense losses of life and provide motivation for us to do all we can to ensure history can never be repeated.

Art Collection

One of our more recent acquisitions is by Scottish painter, Peter Howson, renowned for his depictions of suffering and redemption, with a focus on Christ. Howson was the official British War Artist during the 1993 Bosnian war.

The Tate Britain in London has four artworks by him in their Prints and Drawings room. We had his painting, Crucifixion, a stark 7ft portrayal of Jesus on cross surrounded by vivid flames. It certainly evokes a feeling of nightmarish awe.

If you’re wondering the best place to sell your art collection, we work with trusted specialists who understand the complex appraisal process.

Rare Watches and Big Diamonds

The most popular items we lend on are usually jewellery and watches, we thought we’d share some of the rarest watches and blingiest diamonds we’ve valued.

Skeletonised Vacheron Constantin

Not only is this very rate, it’s also incredibly expensive. A Skeleton watch is when you can see the moving parts through the case. Some of these watches go up for auction for over £200,000, with the intricately designed faces revealing all the beautiful workings beneath them. It sure would look good on your wrist, but we’re not sure we’d ever dare take it outside.

The skeleton design is the mark of a true watch connoisseur. It shows a passion for the genius it takes to empower you with the knowledge of time. Watches can have hundreds of parts, and if just one is placed incorrectly, the watch won’t work.

The respect for craftsmanship, the moving legacy, and the powerful philosophy of knowing what time you’re in, are some of the reasons people become romanticised with watches. It adds an arguably untouchable sentiment to a timepiece, which enables it to become treasured if passed on to you, and in a way, gives you the ability to time travel to the memories it’s associated with.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time

It's a waiting list exclusive and doesn't lose its value after sale, making it expensive and rare in a modern sense. Chrono24 have an example of one up for sale right now for £39,500.

Patek Philippe, like Vacherin Constantin, is one of the top watch brands on the planet, which means its watches come with a jaw-dropping price tag. This Aquanaught is a true collectable and investment.

Heart-shaped Diamond Ring

Just shy of five carats, this diamond ring is listed at £77,185 on our sister site, HandT - Shop Online. A heart-shaped diamond trilogy set 18ct gold ring, who could say no to that? Of all the minerals, diamond is the toughest. So, if you’ve got a love you know will last the true test of time, diamonds are oh so romantically symbolic of that.

You can sell more than just watches and jewellery to a pawnbroker. Our prices are always competitive and fair, so if you’ve got some unusual memorabilia or collectables you’re not attached to anymore, let us know and we’ll give you a valuation, completely free.

Of course, if you’ve got any Fabergé eggs lying about, we’re happy to take a look at those too.

Representative 165.5 %APR.

Pawnbroking Loans are secured on your items, if the loan is not repaid it will be sold to pay the debt.

Please note that Cheque Cashing, buyback, FX, retail purchases and sales are not regulated by the FCA.

 

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By H&T Pawnbrokers