William G. Jackman / William GJackman
In recent years antique silver toys have increasingly become recognised as a sound investment and – unlike stocks and shares – there is no reason why they should ever drop in value. This in itself makes the publication of Investing in Antique Silver Toys and Miniatures a timely event. But there is so much more to the collecting of silver miniatures, not only for their aesthetic value but for their very human interest and intriguing history; relatively few people are aware of how they came about and little is still known about the makers of these extraordinary toys. William G. Jackman’s book, the product of the author’s personal passion for collecting silver toys and miniatures, is not only a fascinating history of silver toy-making from the seventeenth century up until the present day, but charts the story of doll’s houses – or baby houses as they were originally known – showing how they were first developed for the children of royalty in England, France and Holland.Ilustrated with 110 photos of silver toys, many from the author’s own collection, with full details on their purchase price at auction, Investing in Antique Silver Toys and Miniatures will not only serve as a wonderful introduction to the subject for those interested in finding out more, but as a valuable guide for those collecting at auction, either online (on for instance, eBay) or in traditional auction houses such as Christie’s.
