Film posters and rare book among items brought to Keys Fine Art Auctioneers’ charity valuation day in North Walsham

RARE FIND: The signed autobiography of former golfing star Harry Vardon, one of the items brought in for valuation at Keys' charity event in North Walsham. Picture: SUBMITTED (Image: Archant)

Dozens of people had scoured their lofts and arrived with a huge range of jewellery, watches, pictures, ceramics and other antiques to the day, held by Keys Fine Art Auctioneers at the North Walsham office of estate agents Arnolds Keys.

Antiques and fine art experts Roy Murphy and Paul Goodley were kept busy all day, with a mixture of quirky items and valuable collectables coming through the door.

The unusual Indian postcards were valued at several hundred pounds, the film posters at £300, and the book, 'My Golfing Life', between £300 and £500.

It was a signed first edition by Harry Vardon (1870–1937), a notable Jersey golfer who won the British Open Championship six times between 1896 and 1914 – a record which still stands - and the US Open in 1900.

Keys Fine Art partner Roy Murphy said: 'The people of North Walsham have shown that they have a rich variety of antiques and collectables in their homes, with a stream of people all day bringing all sorts of items to be valued.

'Sometimes it is the unusual which is just as interesting as the valuable, and one of the quirkiest items brought in was a pen, pencil and ink set in the form of a pistol, which even fired the pen when you pulled the trigger. It was bought for a few shillings when new, but is now worth up to £100.'

The valuation day is part of a series being run by Keys around the county to raise money for the firm's nominated charity for 2013, the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind.

Keys experts offered their time for free, with a suggested £1 donation per item going to the charity.