A BOX of old and dusty pots were on their way to a charity shop before the seller realised they were worth £100,000.
The crockery had been sitting on display inside the seller’s late mum’s home, in Etwall, near Derby for nearly 40 years before their true value was discovered.
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In a twist of fate, the 67-year-old retired computer engineer decided to hold-off on giving his mother’s dishes away and got them valued.
These antiques turned out to be late 16th century Chinese Ming Dynasty wucai porcelain dragon and phoenix dishes.
They would have been used as alter pieces in a Chinese monastery or temple and most likely travelled to England after the First or Second World War.
The seller said: “I thought they might fetch a bit of money but didn’t think they would be worth much.
“I took them along to Hansons Auctioneers for valuation and consigned them into auction expecting them to make around £30.
“But later on I got a call from Hansons to say some of the Chinese ceramics in the box were worth more.
“They planned to put them into a different sale with estimates of £4,000-£6,000. I thought ‘brilliant!’ I was pleased with that.
“What happened next was unbelievable.
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“I watched the auction live online and the prices kept rocketing.
“I was shouting at the computer. My sister was watching live online from Australia and we were texting each other. We just couldn’t believe what was happening.”
In an exciting biding battle, three people fought to take home a set of four dishes – and the total paid by a Chinese bidder, was a whopping £81,900.
The history behind the treasures remain a mystery, the seller said: “I grew up being surrounded by plates and dishes. Mum liked to display them on the walls.
“She would have had no idea the dishes were valuable.
“She inherited them from a chap she used to help to look after many years ago in Etwall, a former Rolls-Royce engineer.
“They were given to her as a mark of gratitude.
“I’d been clearing mum’s house and had considered taking the pots to a charity shop. Oddly, the ones I thought might be valuable weren’t but the ones I thought weren’t worth much were!”
Another item in the cardboard box, an Imperial porcelain yellow ground medallion bowl, Daoguang, sold for £14,500.
And, an Imperial porcelain famille rose pink ground medallion bowl, Daoguang went for £8,800.
A third piece also raked in thousands, bringing the total amount to £112,190.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “I spotted the Chinese items in a cardboard box in our saleroom after they had been consigned to auction by one of our valuers.
“They were originally destined for Hansons’ monthly antiques and collectors sale but I knew they were important.
“They were validated by consultant valuer and Chinese ceramics expert Adam Schoon.
“It was an unbelievable find and a tremendous result. It’s wonderful to discover items like this on your doorstep.
“This local find attracted worldwide interest, 10 phone bidders and a superb result for our client.
“That makes me proud.”
This comes as hundreds of hidden treasures are found unexpectedly across the country.
One man found a Chinese teapot in his grandfather’s attic which had been collecting dust for 50 years.
It had been brought back from Japan in the 1940s and was going to be handed away to a charity shop.
But, after being valued, it was revealed the teapot was worth up to £40,000 – and it eventually went under the hammer for a whopping £390,000.
Another secret gem sat in plain sight collecting dust for 89 years before being discovered – and it could be worth £60,000.
The small jade box was bought by a Dorset farmhouse seller’s grandmother for just £8 as a present for her husband in 1934.
But the Chinese antique, thought to date from the 1800s, is now estimated to sell for 750 times its original price.
In a stroke of luck, one woman found a rare hidden treasure in her mum’s socks.
Margaret Hood kept the haul of antique items hidden away from relatives and carers who had no idea they existed until she died last October aged 90.
Some of the great-gran’s incredible jewellery collection has already fetched £5,410 at auction and it is expected to make £20,000 in its entirety.
Suprising household items that are worth a fortune and how to find them
Experts believe the average UK attic hides valuables totalling a staggering £1,922, and around £33billion worth of “junk” lurks in our cupboards and drawers
Antiques expert Charlie Ross, who regularly appears on Bargain Hunt and Flog It!, has listed several items to look out for in your home.
’90s vinyl
“Records made from about 1992 to 1999 are especially valuable as not a lot was made at that time. Vinyl from bands like Mansun might sell for £80 or Kula Shaker, £65,” said the expert.
Star Wars
“What really sells well is carded figures, One auction recently sold a rare character called Yak Face, from Return Of The Jedi, for over £1,500,” said Charlie
Fountain Pens
The Bargain Hunt presenter said: “A rare Namiki fountain pen once sold for £6,000 at auction, while auction house Dreweatts sold a limited-edition Montblanc for an incredible £14,000.”
Old mobiles
“Even if they are not worth a huge amount now, there is no doubt that they will become valuable, so they are worth keeping. The first one of any particular series might also be worth something in years to come”. said Charlie.
Autographs
“If you have a collection of all the Beatles’ autographs, you are sitting on a fortune!” Charlie added.
“I recently met a chap who had a book full of cricketers’ autographs – even that was worth £100.”
Comics
“A Batman Adventures Comic from 1993 could make you around £800. Comics are valuable as they are typically limited edition and quite rare,” explained the expert.
For more information on hidden valuable items, read here.
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