Thimbles in Sussex

Last Friday there was an auction of thimbles in Sussex. It was a private collection and extensive. There were thimbles in the collection that have rarely been seen before which made it exciting. The only draw back was the condition of many items. It was hard to comprehend why a collector who had a good knowledge of her subject, had not been more careful regarding holes in silver thimbles, wear and chips and cracks in porcelain and enamel? It prevented high prices being reached because of the visible flaws. It is always better to pay more for a thimble in crisp condition unless it is very rare.

Amongst the rare silver thimbles, there was the ‘train’ item Richard Trevithick’s the ‘Novelty’. Then a child’s thimble with tiny carriages containing people around the border. Another silver one with ‘Free Trade’ motto above a two masted ship. The Norwegian enamel scenic thimbles did not reach the vertiginous heights at Bleasedales auction.