We Brits have long been avid collectors of royal memorabilia. But when it comes to making money from them in the future, it pays to be careful what you seek.
Right now, there are some really attractive bits and pieces you can pick up from the High Street. Marks and Spencer has a matching royal coronation pillow with crowns embroidered on it for £22.50, John Lewis has a beautiful coronation effigy for £15 and Fortnum & Mason has a beautiful Darjeeling tea caddy for £19.95.
They all look cool and fun to have at home, but they’re mass-produced and unlikely to add up in value much, if at all.
So if you’re a coronation collector, but want items that you can sell for more later, what should you aim for?
John White, of Britannia Queen, says: ‘Some of the most sought-after souvenirs produced for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 were in porcelain, designed by British artist Eric Ravelius for Wedgwood. Ravilious “Brightly colored coronation mugs sell for over £600 these days, so I would expect designs from well-known artists to increase in value.”
If you’re a fan of glitzy china, you can go to emmabridgewater.co.uk and buy a crown-trimmed half pint jug for £23 which has been marked as a ‘collector’s exclusive’. Collectibles expert Tracy Martin said Emma Bridgewater products can increase in value because of their distinctive designs.
If you’re a coronation collector, but want items you can sell for more later, what should you aim for?
You might also consider a limited edition print to celebrate the occasion. For example, visit Highgrove’s own shop, highgrovegardens.com, and for £3,500 you can purchase a limited edition (100 copies) framed, Balmoral lithograph of an original watercolor by the soon-to-be monarch. Any item that is guaranteed a “Limited Edition” has a much better chance of increasing its value.
If you’re up for something a little more quirky, Windermere Fine Art Gallery in the Lake District has a limited edition portrait of Charles as Elvis! It’s £250 unframed or £450 framed.
‘Royal-themed art is always popular,’ says gallery owner Dawn Titherington. For example, the piece The Queen of Hearts featuring the Queen created by Mr. Brainwash, an LA-based street artist, is doubled in value for its Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
Another slightly cheaper limited edition product is the Highgrove Coronation Bear, again from Highgrove itself. At £170 each, only 500 were created. The bear is handcrafted by Merrythought, the last remaining British bear manufacturer.
Pawnbroker Dan Hatfield recommends a Royal Scot frosted paperweight at £39.50, noting that as we go paperless, manufacturers are producing fewer paperweights. “In the coming years, it could be worth hundreds of pounds,” he told ITV.
For a pretty guaranteed profit, auctioneer and specialist in royal memorabilia James Grinter suggests focusing on pieces that have already been touched, owned, worn or signed by royalty.
I don’t have a seat in Westminster Abbey on May 6 (shocking neglect, I know), but if King Charles follows in his mother’s footsteps, I might be able to buy someone else’s invitation—or even the chair they sit in during the ceremony—as a souvenir.
It’s worth keeping an eye out for memorabilia on eBay right after your coronation that you can keep and resell for a profit later, such as a signed program or ticket. or whatever the king signs on that day.
James Grinter adds: ‘We sold a framed and signed photograph of the late Queen leaving Buckingham Palace for her coronation, for £2,500. She gave the portrait to one of her staff and its value came from the fact that it was signed just before the coronation.
Finally, if you want something really affordable, go out on Coronation Day and buy the Daily Mail and all the other major news papers. Within a week you can sell them for more on eBay. After the Queen’s death, papers reporting her death were sold for £200 on the Internet.
Cook your way for free A place to stay
Making Yourself Useful: The idea is that you create a profile on the site, decide which skills you would like to offer…then match with people in the area you want to stay in who need your skills
The cost of renting a place to live – or just to stay for a short time – is becoming increasingly expensive.
But a new site called Kind Room (kindroom.com) offers an alternative way to pay for a room: with your skills.
The idea is that you create a profile on the site, select what skills you might be willing to offer (cooking, cleaning, fixing things, gardening, secretarial duties, etc.) and then you are matched with people in the area where you want to stay. Who needs your skills.
That way you get somewhere to live for free (or almost free) and the homeowner gets someone handy around the house who can do housework or gardening in exchange for a room.
If you have a Nectar Card and you shop at Sainsbury’s, you’ll be able to get additional discounts – up to 30 per cent – on a range of products from cereals to laundry detergent just by swiping the Nectar app or your card at a later time.
If you shop online, discounts will happen automatically if your Nectar and Sainsbury’s accounts are linked.
Mahahome.com, home of great kitchen brands, is offering an exclusive 25 percent off all Pyrex products on their website when you use code JASMINE25 at checkout. Code expires May 6th.
I have a patio with pots of plants but love a bit of a garden to grow fruit and vegetables so I’m really interested in a new site called AllotMe.co.uk, which brings people like myself together with neighbors who have an unused garden or even a plot of land they want to rent out for gardening. It’s free to use and worth a try.
Tricks to save on mounting water bills
Water bills have gone up this month, with the average total rising from £417 to £448 this year, according to Water UK.
But you can cut that cost with a few clever hacks. Start with a freebie – always love that! Many water companies offer a free water saving kit to any of their customers who request one. Take a look at your water provider’s website to see if they offer one of these services.
Clean up: Cut your water bills by taking a shower
If you live alone, or if there are more bedrooms than people in your home, it may be helpful to get a water meter. For large, growing families who love baths, it might be best not to!
The Consumer Council for Water (ccw.org.uk/save-money-and-water/water-meter-calculator) has a water meter calculator that you can use to see if it’s worth subscribing to.
Using showers instead of baths will reduce the amount of water you use, and the shorter the showers the cheaper.
I have a friend who puts the plug in the bathroom when she takes a shower and then uses the water to wash the bathroom or water the garden.
Other things you can do at home are to fix leaky faucets, to make sure you have a full load whenever you use the washing machine, and to only use the dishwasher when it’s fully loaded.
My favorite hack is to fill the kettle with just enough water for the cups of tea you’re making.
If you’re struggling to pay your water bill, call your water company because they all have ways to help, from letting you pay in installments to putting a cap on how much you’re charged.
If the family’s income is low (£21,000 or less), you may be able to apply a social tariff which can be up to 90 per cent lower than the normal business rate.
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