Why Antique Thimbles?

Thimble collecting is exciting, fun, and covers a wide price range.

Each thimble is a perfect miniature display of art, invention and craftmanship.

We mainly deal in antique thimbles, made in every imaginable material, silver, gold, brass, porcelain, ivory, tortoishell and enamel. In the nineteenth century, they were considered the perfect gift of a gentleman to a lady.

Join The Thimble Society

If you would like to enroll in the Thimble Society, you will be entitled to four magazines a year, containing many rare and exciting vitage and antique thimbles and sewing tools to buy.

You will find in-depth articles, restoring tips, identification, cataloguing advice, and a list of local Thimble Society groups in your area, with whom you can enjoy your shared interest. Our society was started in 1981 as a family firm, founded on a shared passion for sewing-related objects.

Small collectibles, and "Objets d'Art"

Other small collectibles, and "Objets d'Art", are available from our shop in the Portobello and from our web page.

Dress accessories, such as decorative hat pins, attaching those huge Edwardian hats to every fashionable head, skirt lifters, so your long dress did not trail in the mud, lorgnettes, to gaze at the handsome occupant of the box at the opera.

For men, there are vesta match boxes, napkin tie clips to stop your tie getting stained, cravat pins and puzzle boxes to amuse the friends at the club.

Antique Needlework Tools

Antique needle work tools, too long taken for granted as ordinary household objects, are enjoying a new and richly deserved interest among collectors of all ages and both genders. We have exquisite fitted sets, silver and novelty tape measures, chatalaines to hang from your belt and every elegant and amusing item to delight the collector.

Best Selling Items

Brass Needle Holder £98.00 Brass pop up needle holder by Asser & Sherwin 'The Strand' London. find out more

New Products

silver chatelaine, five pieces. Hll mkd George Unite B'ham 1898. £950.00 approx 10 ins, 25 cms long. most pieces hall marked GU [George Unite, famous English silversmith] Good condition.. find out more	silver chatelaine, five pieces, mainly hall mkd b'ham 1898 George Unite. £950.00 handsome, good condition, five piece silver chatelaine made by the famous silver smith George Unite. Approx 10ins long, 25cms. Fine clip with figures, matching chains. find out more	silver thimble, French c.1880. Raised flowers, gilt centres. £45.00 good condition, crisp raised applied flowers with gilded centres. find out more

silver commemorative of Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert with inscription. £600.00 good condition, clear pictures of Victoria and Albert. English c.1839 find out more	silver commemorative of Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert. c.1839 good clear picture of Victoria and Albert, also inscription. find out more