The rush for Royal keepsakes: Prices soar as nation honours the Queen

The Queen’s death on Thursday marked the end of an era in British history. And while millions ponder her momentous life, many are eager to get hold of mementos and collectibles.

Google searches for “Royal memorabilia” shot up 100 percent Friday morning as newspapers filled with touching obituaries stormed the stands.

The Royal Mint website crashed after customers flocked to buy commemorative coins, with more than 6,390 online shoppers waiting in line on Thursday night.

By 11am Friday, several had already sold out, including the £3,575 gold-resistant Elizabeth II Trafalgar Five Pounds minted in 2005 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

And a £5 coin commemorating the Queen’s 70th reign, which previously cost £13, sold out last night.

According to Google data, searches for “Queen Elizabeth mugs” doubled over the weekend. And on Monday alone, nearly 150 commemorative cups honoring all manner of royal occasions over the years were listed on eBay auction site.

Meanwhile, copies of the historic edition of the Daily Mail published last Friday are on sale for up to £99.99.

Luxury department store Harrods also says sales of Paddington Bears have soared after mourners began placing them outside Buckingham Palace earlier this summer following the Queen’s sketch with the famous bear. The 42 cm high cuddly toy is currently out of stock.

Pauline Maclaran, professor of marketing and consumer research at Royal Holloway, University of London, says: ‘There are all the high-end collectibles and then of course you have the huge range of key rings, mugs, plaques and flags. I think this is part of wanting to be involved in the historic moment and on the occasion of it.’

But it doesn’t take long to discover a huge range of prices offered by different suppliers.

A limited-edition Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Barbie doll cost £4,995 on eBay earlier this week. Another one was bought from the same site on Monday for £461.

Laura Suter, head of personal finance at investment firm AJ Bell, says: “If anyone is currently buying royal memorabilia for a purely profit-making purpose, they should proceed with caution.

“There is no guarantee that all items will increase in value and it is very difficult to predict what will see a significant increase in value and what will retain value, or even decrease.”

Selling websites like eBay and Gumtree are full of tableware, handkerchiefs, and brooches commemorating royal events.

And according to previous estimates by the Center for Retail Research, an estimated £281 million was spent on souvenirs and souvenirs during the platinum anniversary this year, according to previous estimates by the Center for Retail Research.

Auctioneers Reeman Dansie have sold hundreds of lots related to the Royals over the years. In 2019, a pair of 9 carat gold enamel cufflinks, which the late Queen had gifted to a senior member of her royal household, were purchased for £2,900.

James Grinter, director of the Colchester-based company, says: ‘Personal gifts, cards and letters are worth far more than mass-produced mugs and tableware.

“Members of the royal family usually give gifts to retired staff or members of the public who have helped them in some way, such as a helpful station master.”

Signing signatures is against royal protocol. However, Queen Elizabeth II wrote many letters and cards.

A Christmas card signed by the monarch could be worth up to £2,000, according to Mr Grinter. Letters signed by ‘Lilibet’, a nickname used by the monarch’s close friends and family, are said to be particularly valuable.

But any card with her signature placed after 1960 would be worth less, because it was probably machine-signed.

While few can boast of personal gifts and correspondence, some mugs can still be valuable.

About 1,000 limited edition loving cups were made by ceramics manufacturer Royal Doulton on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.

David Broom, of Keys Auctioneers, says: ‘While most mugs bought during the coronation will sell for up to £20, these cups can go up to £400 as there are fewer of them.’

Other tableware from popular British brands has also increased in value. On Monday, an Emma Bridgewater ‘God Save The Queen’ Jubilee mug sold for £104 on eBay, despite selling for £22 a few months ago.

However, Mr. Broom cautions that even those who have dealt with royalties may not be able to sell an item at its true value unless they can prove it to be authentic.

A woman once showed him a porcelain cup and saucer given to her father by the late Queen Mother while he was on duty as a police officer on Christmas Eve in Sandringham.

Mr Broom says: ‘It was a beautiful story, but it looked like any other cup and saucer and there was no way of proving it had been given to him by a member of the royal family.

“It had great sentimental value to the police officer’s daughter, but the set wouldn’t have sold much at auction.”

Many royal enthusiasts also like to collect stamps documenting the reign of a monarch.

Searches for “Queen Elizabeth stamps” jumped 85 percent Friday morning, data from Google shows.

James Colbault, of stamp dealer Stanley Gibbons, says the company saw strong demand during the anniversary celebrations.

He adds: ‘We regularly receive requests for the original coronation stamps, featuring the portraits of Edmund Dulac and Dorothy Wilding, from 1953 and the first set of stamps featuring the 1967 Arnold Machin portrait, which is now synonymous with British postage. ‘

Royal memorabilia tends to increase in value once members of the family they belong to have passed away.

However, interest in items related to King Charles III and the Queen Consort has also increased.

A porcelain mug to mark the couple’s 2005 wedding sold for £46.61 on Friday, while similar items sold for £1 to £15 earlier this year.

f.parker@dailymail.co.uk