Get Your Morton F.C. Jersey When the Full Time Whistle Blows!

Get your Greenock Morton F.C. jersey in McTear's exclusive‘timed bidding’ auction after the Peter Weatherson Testimonial match, in  Gallery1842.

 Greenock Morton Football Club were established in 1874, and now are one of the oldest Scottish senior Football Clubs. With almost 140 years on the pitch, Morton are a club with a great history of achievements... and a great collection of jerseys to go with it!

  Greenock Morton play St Johnstone in Cappie Low Park on Saturday 13th July at 3pm in their Peter Weatherson Testimonial Match. We at McTear's are auctioning every jersey worn by the Morton Players this Saturday, at full time of their match- some of which are individually autographed or even autographed by the whole team.


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 With bids beginning at only £50, this is a great opportunity to get your hands on a piece of blue and white Morton history, or treat someone who you know is part of their very loyal fan base!

 All proceeds from this auction will be going to the Peter Weatherson Testimonial Fund to reward this player for his contribution to Greenock Morton Football Club.

 Get bidding before the full-time hammer drops!

Coming up in June...

Over the week beginning 24th of June we will have a total of 9 auctions including Fine Jewellery, Rare and Collectable Whisky, Wine and Port, Silver including Scottish Provincial and The Scottish Contemporary art auction.

Who thought the day would come that we would be auctioning a genuine antique Fijian weapon of war? This unique weapon, with a tribal name 'Totokia', designed to drive a hole into the skull of the enemy was also believed to possess there own life force or ‘mana’, making them treasured objects in life or in death. They are highly sought after so we look forward to seeing what will happen in the Furniture, Clocks and works of art auction on Tuesday at 6pm.


Lot 364

Another lot coming up during the week will be the craftsmanship of Tain silver, made in Tain, Ross-shire. This particular piece, a pair of bud vases made by William Innes of Tain circa 1835 demonstrates the quality of Innes's work, from each delicately worked wavy rim to the chased foliate designs of each vase. It will be up for bidding on our Scottish Silver auction on Tuesday 25th at 10.30am.


Lot 7

Our Scottish Pictures auction on Thursday 27th at 6pm will also feature a beautiful item up for auction. This fine example of McTaggart’s mature oeuvre was painted in 1873 and 'The Sea Bird' is definitely one not to be missed in this upcoming auction.



Lot 1737

For more information on these auctions including the expected hammer prices, have a look at the online catalogues for each auction.

British & Continental Ceramics & Glass -   Tuesday 25th June
Silver including Scottish Provincial - Tuesday 25th June 
Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art - Tuesday 25th June
Rare & Collectable Whisky, Wine & Port - Wednesday 26th June
Clocks, Watches and Coins - Wednesday 26th June
Fine Jewellery - Wednesday 26th June
Sports, Movie & Television Memorabilia - Thursday 27th June
The Scottish Pictures Auction - Thursday 27th June
The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction - Sunday 30th June  

Going Once...Going Twice...Gone!

With a little gap till our June auctions, we thought it would be interesting to have a look at the most expensive items sold at auction over the years.

Recently at McTear’s we were fortunate to be auctioning some of the fantastic work by Peter Howson which raised over £200,000. However, other items around the world have managed to reach much higher prices at auction.

It’s amazing what some people will pay for things at auction and these following items are just some of the best examples.

First of all the most expensive painting which was Pablo Picasso's Nude, Green Leaves and Bust that sold for $106.5million (£66million) in 2010 at Christie's auction house.


Source: Picasso's Nude, Green Leaves and Bust to be shown at Tate Modern

Next is the most expensive piece of clothing. Marlyn Monroe's famous 'Happy Birthday' serenade to President John F. Kennedy is one that has gone down in history and her flesh-coloured, curve-hugging, jewel-encrusted dress so tight and sheer that she was sewn into it, sold for a massive $1,267,500 in 1999.


Marilyn Monroe's "Happy Birthday Mr. President" Dress

The most expensive musical instrument sold in 2007 was this Guarneri del Gesù violin that sold for $3.9millon.


Guarneri del Gesù violin

We found this one very peculiar: The most expensive lock of hair. The company behind the Internet auction of such macabre memorabilia has made a small fortune selling the tresses of celebrities.To date, the most valuable one sold was that of Elvis Presley selling for $115,000 in 2002.


Tresses from Elvis Presley

Now for probably the coolest car we have ever seen, the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. Being the most expensive car sold at auction, this beauty reached a whopping $12.2million in 2009.


1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa

If diamonds really are a girl's best friend, then this Wittelsbach diamond would be the best friend they could have. Selling for $23.4million in 2008 this diamond is the most expensive one sold to date.


Wittelsbach diamond

Adapted from The Times Top 10 most expensive items sold at auction.

McTear's next special auctions will begin on the 25th of June with British & Continental Ceramics & Glass.

May at McTear's

What a fantastic week for McTear's with various special auctions proving to be extremely successful causing great excitement and eager bidding amongst both those who attended but also those who never.

The auctions all contained an eclectic mix of worthy auction items including Jewellery, paintings, furniture and sculptures all of which are unique and command interest from our bidders.

Rocking on in our Furniture, Clocks and Works of Art auction was this Edwardian Gesso pine pedestal rocking horse originally retailed by Harrods of Knightsbridge. After getting an estimation of £500-£800, the horse ended up going under the hammer for a fantastic £2400 on Tuesday the 21st May.


Lot 375

For the Whisky lovers, on Wednesday the 22nd bidding commenced on lot 666 the Springbank Millennium Collection which included 6 different bottles along with the Millennium Collection miniature box set of 6 miniatures. After some keen bidding this lot managed to raise its maximum estimation of £4000.


Lot 666

In our Fine Jewellery auction we had many beautiful pieces up for grabs including some glittering diamond bracelets, rings and necklaces. In particular this outstanding diamond two stone ring which, after an estimation of £1000-£2000, exceeded its highest expected price reaching £6000.


Lot 1101

Fancy a cuppa? In our Asian Works of Art auction this unique Chinese silver teapot with bird and blossom decoration and branch finial sold for a fantastic £1500 after getting an estimation of £500-£800 last Thursday.


Lot 1428

These are only just a few of the items worth noting that went under the hammer over the course of last week. For full online catalogues and hammer prices have a look here.

For details of our upcoming June auctions that start on the 25th have a look at our website. McTear's look forward to seeing you there ready with your bidding hats on.

Spotlight on Sunday: Scottish Contemporary Art

Being the only auction house in the UK to provide a monthly sale dedicated to Scottish Contemporary Art, McTear’s unique auction on Sunday is set to be one to cause great interest.

It can’t be ignored that last months various auctions were both distinctive and in some cases record breaking! First of all was April’s Scottish Contemporary Art auction that saw a variety of special pieces going under the hammer including likes of John Bellany, Hamish MacDonald and Alison Watt OBE to name a few. Overall, the sale caught the eye of many keen bidders producing some fantastic results.


Lot 1687: John Bellany: Estimate: £700 - £1000 Hammer: £1100


Lot 1688: Hamish MacDonald: Estimate: £500 - £800 Hammer: £1600


Lot 1718: Alison Watt: Estimate: £8000 - £12000 Hammer: £7000

Then came the unforgettable Terry Howson Collection auction with almost 400 drawings, sketches and etchings by her former husband Peter Howson. It was questionable whether we would be able to fit such a massive sale in between April and May’s Scottish Contemporary Art auctions but with the effort and commitment of the McTear’s team “we worked something out”. It was not surprising that such a unique sale would have acquired such global interest especially with the pictures being sold at No Reserve with David Bowie fans competing to get that winning bid, the sale was a sell-out success.


Lot 56: Peter Howson OBE 'Monique' mixed media, signed and dated '07: Estimate: £200 - £500 Hammer: £2400


Lot 310: Peter Howson OBE 'The Man Who Fell To Earth' (The First Of The David Bowie Drawings): Estimate: £1000 - £2000 Hammer: £6000

This Sunday once again people will be eagerly watching and bidding as McTear's hold another Scottish Contemporary Art auction. After the Terry Howson collection last month this Sunday boasts an exciting array of Howson oils, from 1982 onwards. Other notable items going under the hammer include George Wyllie MBE and Jack Vettriano OBE.


Lot 1877: Peter Howson OBE 'The Justified Sinner': Estimate: £2000 - £3000


Lot 1889: George Wyllie MBE sculpture: Estimate: £500 - £1000


Lot 1902: Jack Vettriano OBE 'Letter of Consequence' oil on canvas: Estimate: £15000 - £20000

We are hoping that the upcoming Scottish Contemporary Art auction will be as successful as our previous ones and look forward to welcoming you there.

The Scottish Contemporary Art auction is this Sunday, 26th of May at 2pm.

Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter or visit our website for more information on what McTear's are up to.

Bid for 'The Beetle'

A vintage Volkswagen Beetle has arrived at McTear's for auction on 16th April... You definitely will not miss this vibrant orange car driving down the street.



This bright and chic Volkswagen 1976 Beetle two door saloon in petrol red is estimated to sell for £1000-£2000 in our Furniture, Collectables & Works of Art auction on the 16th of April.

The history of the 'Beetle' dates back to the early 1930's where it was originally known as 'The People car' designed by Ferdinand Porsche. It wasn't until the New York Times newspaper used the nickname 'Beetle', referring to 'Porsche's People's Car' that well-known name caught on. Unfortunately, due to World War II, the "People's Car" fell rapidly to the bottom of the list of priorities and it wasn't until the 1950s that sales of the Beetle took off. Over the years the saloon has evolved and changed and after arriving in the UK in 1952 it has been a very popular and well known car.





As one of the earlier Beetle models, this vintage saloon is sure to attract a lot of attention at the auction on the 16th of April.

Visit our website for further information on this and other upcoming auctions.

Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with what is going on at McTear's.

Merry McTears Christmas

Amongst our 3 special auctions yesterday, distinctive and quirky antiques went under the hammer. In particular, The Gentleman’s Library auction had items to be highlighted.

 
With Christmas just over a week away, it was a perfect opportunity to get those last minute presents for ‘the man who has everything’. From silver snuff boxes to gold cigarette cases to Edwardian walking canes, this unique auction of 300 lavish items hopefully had the answer to that problem.

Before the auction, McTear’s Managing Director, Brian Clements, said: “Picking the perfect Christmas gift can be one of the most challenging tasks during the festive season so we thought we would hunt out some really unusual luxury items to give auction goers some much need inspiration”.

Whether you had a frugal festive budget to stick to or more money to splurge, the Gentleman’s Library auction had something to suit both. For example, this silver snuff box and stamp case went under the hammer for £50 whereas this rare Cubatabaco 1492 original humidor –complete with 50 Cornoas Gordas cigars - valued at between £12,000 and £16,000 went for £15,00.



Lot 600H: CUBATABACO 1492 ORIGINAL HUMIDOR



Lot 293: SILVER SNUFF BOX AND A STAMP CASE

We had two further exciting auctions yesterday: Victorian & Edwardian Jewellery and Watches and The Christmas Wine, Port & Whisky both with some special items going under the hammer.

For those who made it to the auctions yesterday we hope you enjoyed them as much as we did and managed to claim that winning bid in time for Christmas.

Visit our website, Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with what McTear's are doing.






 

Tune in & Don't Miss Out...

McTear's Auctioneers, starting this Tuesday 6th November, will be featured on various radio stations where listeners can text in their item for them to be valuated on air.

Listen out for our very own Brian Clements on The Ally Bally radio show where he will be speaking about some of the listener’s antiques during a 30 minute appearance starting this Tuesday 6th November at 11.30.

This feature, occurring every 4 weeks, can be heard on Clyde 2, Forth 2, Northsound 2 and Tay AM… Tune in and Don’t miss it!

It couldn't be easier with our TextIt service...

1.Photograph the object you wish to have valued using your mobile phone camera.

2.Text the word ‘value ally’ along with the photo to 88600

3.We will text you back with an estimated valuation of your object...simple and free!*

*Standard text rate may apply.

McTear’s Auctioneers… We’ve got your lot!