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Auction: The Marchant Collection: Dolls, Teddys & Dolls Houses, together with Toys, 26th Apr, 2025

Sheila Marchant's Story:

Sheila Marchant was Norfolk born and bred, a teacher by profession, with experience of inner city and rural primary schools, culminating in headship of a village school on the North Norfolk coast.
She began collecting dolls quite early, eventually branching out into bears and dolls’ houses. Initially she concentrated on proprietary examples, but a relatively brief spell teaching special needs in Essex brought her in touch with examples for the more discerning collector and from the early nineteen nineties her collection took on a more sophisticated aspect.

For nearly two decades she regularly visited antique centres and auction houses which specialised in her preferred areas.  Getting to know and cultivate specialist collectors and dealers, notably Jill Shapiro and Glenda O’Connor, she quickly learned about specific makes and models and set about refining her collection to include the most interesting examples of different historical periods, encompassing various decades from the late nineteenth century to more modern times.  Judicious sales and purchases enabled this process until she had amassed a significant collection covering all three aspects of her interest. She was particularly pleased with some of the dolls’ houses she acquired, including a very early twentieth century example built by an indulgent father for his daughters!  Her dolls and bears too included some fine, often rare, examples.

Advancing years and failing health meant fewer excursions and brought a realisation that she had amassed the kind of collection she had long envisaged which now could be enjoyed in its own right - and this she proceeded to do for her remaining decade, her living room, as well as other parts of the house, full of dolls and bears to her delight and that (mostly!) of her husband, though some visitors exhibited distinct unease, unused to being exposed to the unwavering scrutiny of dozens of pairs of eyes!

Throughout her life Sheila was an accomplished knitter, having acquired the skill early.  At the age of about eight her enthusiasm was a little clipped by her grandmother’s reaction to her excited declaration of - ‘Grandma, I can knit!’, the response to which was -‘So what, so can I’!  However, she persevered and over many years, among many other examples for family and friends, she knitted just short of two thousand children’s jumpers, all similar in size but with different distinctive patterns, latterly mostly for the East Anglian Children’s Hospice movement, an achievement of which she was quietly, though justly, proud.  Her devotion to her hobbies reflected the dedication, exemplified in her professional career, of a compassionate, discerning and caring woman, now greatly missed by many.

We are in awe of this incredible collection and SAR is delighted to have the privalege of selling them for the vendor

The second part of the auction includes toys from other consignees.

We are in awe of this incredible Lincolnshire based private collection of some of the rarest teddy bears and dolls we have ever seen, which was collected and resided in one home for over 35 years and SAR is delighted to have the privalege of selling them for the vendor.

The second part of the auction includes toys from other consignees, so if you have something you wish to sell, do feel free to contact us for more information and advice.

Please note, for the postage of any porcelain headed dolls, please contact Mailboxes of Nottingham at 0115 773 7073 or https://www.mbe.co.uk/ask-for-a-quote. We will not post in-house.

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Friday 25th April 10am - 4pm

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