Luck of the Irish

There are times when the Auction Houses get it dramatically wrong.

Take this stunning Belleek basket for example.  Clearly no-one knew the significance of the mark on the back.  Guess what!!  I did.  It's dated from roughly 1865 to about 1880; and to make it even more rare, it's absolutely pristine.  Not a scratch, not a chip - absolutely perfect.

Now, if they had realised the worth, it would have been offered in one of their night Connoisseurs' Auctions - when they offer all the good stuff.  But they didn't, and I got it for an absolute song - or Irish Jig.  

No-one else bid for it; and you can't imagine how happy that made me.  I've wanted one of these baskets for ever - it was on my bucket list.  I know that Belleek has dropped in price over the past 10 years but even so!!