Teapot Bought for a Song and Sold for £32,400

Leslie and Wendy Hyde have secured at least the mortage of their home recently, with the sale of a teapot for £32,400 at an auction house in South Kensington, London. A private collector paid thousands more than the expected £20,000 and over £30,000 more than the teapot originally cost Mr and Mrs Hyde.

The pair of seasoned bargain hunters found the brightly coloured teapot at a car boot sale in Tamworth, Staffordshire last year. They thought they had missed all the deals at a certain stall when they arrived, but managed to procure the teapot amongst the last bits and pieces on sale. They paid £2 for the teapot with a chipped handle and the bottom glued back on. They were unaware at the time that they had bought a rare antique, made in 1876 at the Minton Factory near Stoke.

When they saw an identical piece in an antiques brochure they took the teapot to be valued, and their find was given it’s true price.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Mrs Hyde of their excellent bargain hunting luck.