British whisky collector sells bottle collection for £30,000
Brian Marshall from Kettering in Northamptonshire has auctioned off his collection of over 4,000 bottles for nearly £30,000. Marshall has been growing his collection of miniatures since the 1980s.
For 30 years, Marshall planned holidays around his passion for whisky collecting, taking regular trips to Scotland to buy rare varieties, sourcing others from Iraq, Australia, America and Uruguay.
However, despite Marshall’s passion for collecting the miniatures, he dislikes the taste of whisky.
Credit: Papin Lab / Shutterstock.com | Not actual collection
When Marshall moved in with his partner, a lack of space prompted his decision to sell the collection. In addition, he’d never had the chance to sort through the whisky miniatures stored in his garage during lockdown.
Marshall sold the collection in an online auction, alongside whisky-related products like Alfred Barnard’s book The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom, which sold for £2,280. The collection sold for a total of £29,750.
Marshall’s rare whiskies from the collection were fiercely bid on, with one miniature, marking the 35th-anniversary of Private Eye magazine selling for £340 and a rare Springbank box set of four miniatures for £1,054.
Mr Marshall said, ‘”I’m delighted that my bottles have now gone on to new collectors and I hope they will enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed collecting them.”
“I thought the entire collection would make £7,000 to £8,000 at the very most, so this is a very pleasant Christmas bonus! In particular, I thought the Private Eye bottle might make £200 so to see it go for £340 is fantastic.
“And as a lifelong Manchester United fan, it was great to see two sets commemorating the 1968 European Cup winners selling for £160 and £130 each.”
Gildings Auctioneers held the sale. They reported on the strength of the whisky market, driven by interest from Hong Kong and China, alongside young professionals viewing purchases as a strong investment opportunity.
“Brian’s incredible collection really did offer a unique opportunity for collectors, and we’re delighted to have achieved such a great result for him,” said director Will Gilding, the Market Harborough-based auction house’s wine, whisky and spirits specialist.
“Brian’s own expectation of the value of his whisky collection is truly indicative as to how rapidly the market has changed over the last five years or so.
“Rare single malt whiskies are continuing the upward trend that we have witnessed over that time, as shown in these two remarkable auctions.”
Around 100 unsold lots belonging to Mr Marshall will be auctioned again in the new year.
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