Three separate collections of salt and pepper shakers, totalling around 800 sets, will go under the hammer this weekend in what is thought to be one of the largest auctions of its kind.
The first collection of around 450 shakers was given to Libscombes Auction House about two months ago from a deceased estate. Then two weeks ago another collection of 340 was brought in and just last week another collector dropped off another 50.
Libscombes co-owner Eleanor Davidson says they’ve been astounded by the amount and detail of the shakers. “It’s been quite intriguing and a lot of fun. In a way, we’d like to leave them on display for several weeks so people can have a look at them.”
The second collection up for auction was owned by Stoke’s Olive Jackson. She says Nelson had its own salt and pepper shaker club around 30 years ago.
“Both my husband and I belonged to it and there were clubs all around New Zealand, so whenever we’d go on holiday we would go to a club meeting and see if there were any there we’d like to buy.”
Olive says she decided to sell the shakers because she’s 90 years old and “as you get older there are things you can get rid of”.
The shakers will be sold in lots of around 30-40 shakers and will go under the hammer at the Antique, Collectable Art Auction this Saturday, August 29 at 11am, at Libscombes Auction House on New St.
