Last week’s Downton Abbey auction saw a jaw-dropping £1.73 million in sales and over 4,000 registered bidders, obliterating preauction estimates in virtually all areas.
The exhibition for this auction was also popular, quickly selling out with over 15,000 visitors. The auction’s success speaks to the continued frenzy for all things Downton and the extent to which the show is embedded into popular culture. Audiences still can’t get enough of the timeless period drama, even a decade after the final episode aired, as evidenced by the release of the third film earlier this month and continued success of the film site of Highclere Castle in Hampshire as a tourist destination for devoted fans. Coinciding with the film release in mid-September was the Bonhams charity auction for Children with Short Lives, which included costumes, the Grantham family car, and other props from the iconic television series. This article will explore the auction’s results and their predicted influence on the collectibles and memorabilia market.
Highlights of Downton Props
The strongest successes were seen across a range of Downton Abbey props. The star of the auction was the Downton Abbey Bell Wall, which was predicted to sell for only £5,000 – £7,000, but sold for £216,000 (including buyer’s premium), over thirty times the preauction estimate!
Another highlight was the Grantham Family Car, a 1925 Sunbeam 20/60hp Saloon, which sold for a whopping £172,500 (including BP), nearly five times the preauction estimate of £25,000 – £35,000. Violet Crawley’s cane is also worthy of an honorable mention, selling for £28,100 (including BP) after receiving a preauction estimate of only £500 – £800, 35 times the predicted result.
Items used by the family tended to be more popular, while those used by the servants were less so. This was also noticeable in the way the auction was marketed: while the car had been advertised as a headlining object for the auction, the bell wall had not. However, the bell wall was by far the most successful object in the auction, showing that trends do have exceptions. Perhaps the reason for the bell wall’s popularity was that it received so much screentime and was integral to the work of the servants.
Highlights of Downton Fashion
There are too many memorable costumes to cover here, so I have chosen two of the most notable: Edith Crawley’s wedding dress from her marriage to Bertie Pelham and Mary Crawley’s proposal dress from the evening she became engaged to Matthew Crawley. The former was predicted to sell for £3,000 – £5,000, but instead reached £25,600 (including BP), over five times the preauction estimate. What I found most interesting was that this dress outperformed Mary Crawley’s first wedding dress (although only by approximately £2,000), which although less ornate in style was promoted as the second highlight of the auction after the family car. While both sisters were central to the show, Mary was the eldest of the three, had more plotlines, and was marketed more prominently. Everyone loves an underdog, however, and Edith had her time to shine in the later seasons (who could forget the sharp-tongued quarrels between the two?), which is likely why her outfits generally matched Mary’s in the bidding wars for this auction. Mary’s proposal dress was also a fan favorite, selling for £23,040 (including BP), whereas the preauction estimate was a mere £2,000 – £3,000.
More Modest Successes
A strong indicator of the Downton auction’s success is that no lots remained unsold, which is a rarity. While all areas performed well, a small number of lots remained within or near the preauction estimate range (which, in any other type of auction, no one would think twice about!), emphasizing that certain types of objects, such as costumes from main characters or large props that receive frequent screen time are safer investments than more ordinary items that either did not receive significant screentime or were not easily identifiable as objects from Downton Abbey. Regardless, only three lots in the entire auction sold for under £1,000, a resounding success.
What Does This Mean for the Collectibles and Memorabilia Market?
As we have seen from the results of the Bonhams auction, the collectibles and memorabilia market only continues to ascend. This field has traditionally been strong due to the widespread appeal of popular culture, creating greater demand than other areas with more niche levels of interest. However, the growth of this market has not always been linear, skyrocketing five years ago during the pandemic, likely due to a combination of restlessness, more time to engage with pop culture while quarantining, and perhaps nostalgia for pre-pandemic times.
It has taken several years post pandemic to determine whether the growth of the collectibles and memorabilia market is permanent, and the Downton Abbey auction indicates that the answer is a resounding yes. Film, rather than television, still dominates this market for record-breaking results, as illustrated by objects such as a pair of Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which sold for $32.5 million (including BP) last year or the Rosebud sled from Citizen Kane, which sold for $14.75 million (including BP) this summer, both sold at Heritage. While the small screen market hasn’t quite reached the same level of interest, recent auctions from shows such as Game of Thrones, The Crown, and Startrek among others suggest that interest in TV show auctions will only continue to increase. More mainstream series such as Game of Thrones and Startrek are the safest bets for collectors wishing to maximize value, but the period drama market is also steadily growing, with the Downton auction as the strongest for a period drama series to date.
Downton’s final curtain may have fallen, but its props and costumes will live on as cherished keepsakes, with some destined to eventually reenter the market. Who knows how valuable they will be by then? In the meantime, you’ll find me happily watching reruns…
Originally from San Francisco, California, Ashley Innes (née Crawford) is an experienced Asian art valuer and provenance researcher. Her specialties include ceramics, Buddhist antiques, Indian miniature paintings, Southeast Asian art, and musical instruments.