I hope you're enjoying your weekend.
Here's a great story from the collecting world that caught my eye this week.
It features a wonderful, record-breaking item with a story to tell.
And it nicely illustrates why we place so much value in the pieces we collect.
No smoke without fire
This cigar crossed the auction block at Bonhams on Wednesday.
Carefully preserved. Unsmoked for 70 years.
It was expected to fetch £2,000.
But as the bids flew in, it became clear a lot of people wanted to own it
The price kept rising. 10, then 11, then 12 times above estimate.
And it eventually sold for £25,500. A new auction record.
But why is it so special? What drove collectors to keep on bidding up?
The answer is simple.
Because this cigar came from the personal stash of Winston Churchill.
One drunken evening in 1953...
It was originally owned by Chequers Trust auditor Leonard Herbert Norman, who acquired it in 1953. He was invited to dinner with Churchill, and it was an experience he would never forget.
Years later he described the scene in his memoirs:
"...the table was littered with empty magnums of champagne... Sir Winston had drunk about a bottle of brandy and had regaled them the whole time.”
Norman tried to match Churchill drink for drink – but he was fighting a losing battle by the end of the evening.
“The cigar box was circulated for the second time. I didn't feel equal to smoking another. But I did take one and hastily put it unseen (I think) into an inner pocket and still have it today.
“They retired to bed at 4am... At 9.30am... he had to get up to Downing Street for a cabinet meeting... so he had a light breakfast of a piece of toast and a whisky and soda...".
Just imagine sitting across the table from Churchill on a night like that.
The haze of cigar smoke. The pop of Champagne corks. The roars of laughter. And the incredible stories he would tell you.
You'd want to remember that evening for the rest of your life. It would certainly be worth the hangover the next morning.
(And if you'd like your own invitation to lunch with Winston Churchill, personally signed by the man himself, I have one available here.)
Everybody loves Winston
The sale is further proof that, when it comes to memorabilia, Churchill is one of the most in-demand names in the entire collecting hobby.
Time and time again his personal items smash their pre-sale estimates.
They spark bidding wars which send prices beyond all expectations.
And it's easy to understand why.
From a purely historic point of view, Winston Churchill is one of the 20th century's most important figures. An iconic leader on the world stage.
His leadership during WWII means his name is respected around the world.
But there's much more to it than Churchill's achievements alone.
He was a man with a huge spirit and personality. Bold, determined, outspoken and occasionally eccentric.
A man of great wit who battled depression throughout his life.
It's his character, as much as his legacy, that draws you in.
Winston Churchill may have been a political giant. But for collectors, the smallest pieces of his life are often more interesting.
These are minor items in the grand scheme of things. But they're the objects that bring you closer to the real man himself.
A very personal connection
Back in 2021 a pair of Churchill's monogrammed slippers and his favourite brandy glass went up for sale. At the time the original owner said:
“It was a remarkable feeling to hold them in my hands... I often imagined the great man sitting in his chair with these slippers on and this very glass filled with brandy in his hand. You can't really beat that.”
It's a sentiment that many others clearly shared. Because together the two items sold for £48,000, trebling their estimates.
That personal connection fuels the passion of collectors. And that passion drives the market. You only have to look at the prices achieved to see how powerful it can be.
That's why Winston Churchill memorabilia will always be in high demand - and a safe bet if you're planning for the future.
But on a broader note...
This week's sale is a good example of how history is more than just names and dates in textbooks. It's greater than statues, brass plaques or portraits.
History lives and breathes in the smallest objects and the briefest moments.
Like a single cigar, unsmoked, from a dinner 70 years ago.
These rare pieces bring the past to life like nothing else.
That's why we place so much value in them.
And as collectors, we're privileged to own them.If you have any questions about the historic memorabilia market...
Or you'd like to build a collection based on your own passions and interests...
Please get in touch with me today. I'm always here to help.
You can email me at info@justcollecting.com.
Or call me on +44 (0) 1534 639 998.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time,
Paul Fraser.
