ROYAL SOUVENIRS - AN OVERVIEW

I'm often asked about the 'value' of royalty souvenirs. There are royalty collectors the world over, and the British Royalty items stand at the top of the list of those collectibles. In our years of selling, and we mostly have carried the ceramic items, we find that the number of collectors is down from a generation or two ago. We know the Wedgwood Ravilious items are still popular and we have a list of WANTS for the earlier items from Queen Victoria backward.

Edward VIII who abdicated is an interesting historical persona and the story of his abdication is interesting, so his items interest me personally. There are two schools of thought, one, that since he abdicated and was never King, his commemorative wares are worthless; the other that since he abdicated his items are more interesting, therefore more valuable, because they were produced ahead of an event that never happened! It is true that once his abdication was known many of the pre-coronation items were literally thrown away or given to company employees to take home -. those are the bulk of what survives. So are they more or less valuable? There is no way anyone can tell YOU what you should collect! Collect for your own enjoyment, education and pleasure, not for a hope that in the future it will make you wealthy. Souvenir items are at the height of their value when the event is current and interest is high. Later on, there will have been something else to take its place in the world's eye. Or, perhaps it will be valuable well beyond your lifetime. Like Victoria's bloomers, whodda ever thunk it? Click the post title to see an article from the UK Sentinel on this subject. And check our older posts for a commentary on the PRE EVENT SOUVENIRS, of all things, for the 2012 London Olympics. Meanwhile, here's a collector's tip for you: The future Edward VIII didn't like being photographed from his right side, didn't like the way he looked. Check out a very interesting plate we have in stock, bought exactly for this reason, we knew the right side profile items are very rare, thus more collectible.

So the short answer is, well, not a short answer! Royalty souvenirs give pleasure while being collected, but if they are produced in huge quantities, and are not of premium quality, they won't increase in value during your lifetime, so collect what you like! Here's another collectors' tip - when Diana died interest in her items rose for a few short weeks. She was back in the news, deeply mourned and those who never got a Diana souvenir suddenly wanted one. I predict that when something else happens in the Royal Family interest will again increase. When (if?) Charles becomes King, watch and see what happens. His Prince of Wales items may well rise in value...afterall, they are older (& likely a better quality product) than the new kitsch that will be produced and they are dwindling in availability due to their age, breakage, etc., and they represent a time gone by that won't be back again. Likely if Charles is King, William will be elevated to Prince of Wales, but he won't serve in that slot as long as Charles has...so there could be a rash of souvenirs in a short amount of time. Pick your choices carefully with an eye to what you may want to add in the future because in the next 20 to 25 years, there should be quite a few royal events to spur souvenir production. And do check out the Pre Event souvenir items for the London Olympics, it's a whole new category. These are souvenirs of the road leading up to the Olympics, not Olympics souvenirs! Should be interesting to see how they fare on the market. Cheerio!