Royal Drama in the UK (About Stained-Glass Windows)

Welcome, Collectors. Or as they say in Ireland, fáilte (fall-sha). 

If St. Paddy’s Day brings you to the cupboard to dust off some unopened whiskey this weekend, you might want to hold off on cracking the seal. As we mentioned in February, a rare Irish whiskey set recently sold for nearly $3M. The number blew far past previous record-holders, all of which were for bottles distilled in either Scotland or Japan.

2023 saw a number of whiskeys fetch seven figures on the open market. As with the drink itself, the value of rare whiskey gets better with age (and time) – in 2010, the record sale was just $100,000. So keep that bottle sealed, and if you’re looking to pay homage to the Emerald Isle, make sure you spell whiskey with an “e”. The E-less whisky is a variation that started in Great Britain.

Now let’s get into it.

Collector’s Item

Staying across the pond, the British government is making waves this week (and not just for the reasons we’ve all been obsessed with since Monday). Historic 15th-century stained-glass pieces, featuring the marriage of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, were pulled off the auction block on Sunday, minutes before their sale by Historic England. The heritage society deemed the artifacts “of exceptional importance” and seeks to preserve them, vs. sell to the highest bidder. Their estimated value was never made public, but similar windows from Notre-Dame in Paris sold for $130,000 apiece in 2015. More on that shortly.

The glass currently dwells in Sandford Orcas Manor, a home so haunted it’s fit for a visit from Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. Originally created for Nonsuch Palace (yes, that’s a Realsuch place and Henry VIII’s decrepit hunting ground), the windows’ demons followed them to Sandford Orcas sometime in the 1680s. Legend has it that a number of ghosts patrol the windows to this day, including a priest, a farmer, and, well, a stained-glass enthusiast, of course. While we’re thankful Slimer never got a hold of these artifacts, their removal from the market could mark a new trend heading for the world of collectibles. 

A similar investigation has been ongoing in France regarding the ownership of the sold Notre-Dame glass. The windows were originally removed by an architect in 1877 during the cathedral’s restoration. Now the French government claims that all items from Notre-Dame inherently belong to France… nine years after their Sotheby’s sale. If these investigations side with their governments, we could see a reality where more collectibles are blocked from auctions – or even taken back from their owners.

Only a year ago, the signed document that made (the other) King Charles II monarch in 1660 sold for nearly $800,000, without interference. Stateside, a Texas history collection recently sold for $3M, featuring original maps of Austin, and the written announcement of the fall of the Alamo. We’re assuming their new owners will be keeping an eye on these investigations, just as we will.

Penny Thoughts 

• All this talk about haunted manors makes us wonder what Zak Bagans of Ghost Adventures would have to say about King Henry VIII’s stained glass. However, he’s been busy dropping $160,000 on something very different – a one-of-one Paolo Banchero rookie card with a blue-steel ink signature. If Banchero, 2023’s NBA Rookie of the Year, wins an MVP or championship, Bagans predicts the card’s value will skyrocket. Hopefully, for his sake, he has the timing of the teen who sold a Mac Jones rookie card for $100,000 in 2022 – Jones cards now hold the record for largest percentage loss in card history.

• You know the drill: early baseball cards originating from bubblegum or tobacco products have been some of the most sought-after collectibles for decades. But what about cards from a – checks notes – bakery? A newly-discovered collection features 1928 cards originating from Pennsylvania’s Grenier’s Bread. Although the cards advertise loaves for ten cents, these cards should garner five figures. The highlight is a Lou Gehrig card, which currently sits at $5,000, half of its estimated value. Bidding wraps on March 23rd.

• Nowadays, you’re probably more likely to buy a loaf from Costco than Grenier’s. But just as in 1928, you can still pick up a sports collectible on your bread run. A Mantel community member tipped us off on a signed basketball available from Costco, featuring the signatures of Lakers legends Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, Magic, and Jerry West. The post lists the ball for $8,000… which feels like a steal. If you’re a Lakers fan with some cash, the move might be scooping up the ball and somehow getting LeBron to sign it too.

Hot off the Academy Awards, the collectibles world is headed to the movies. If there’s a hole burning in your pocket, check out the Treasures of Planet Hollywood auction, which we teased last week, before it wraps on March 24th. And today is the final day for bidding in Propstore’s film auction, with more than 1,000 items still available. If anything catches your eye, don’t forget to share it with us on Mantel.

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