Strange - Swarovski 10x42 binoculars in same sale as replica of human skull

Fascinating bit of memorabilia, John

Incidentally, at today’s sale, the collection of binoculars sold for a below-estimate £120.

The Swarovski bins sold for an above estimate £700.

Those are the hammer prices. Buyers would also have had to pay 24 per cent commission.

My parents bought them for my eighteenth birthday, I have taken pic of bins, case and payment card ( I never throw anything away ). In case the card cannot be read they cost £16: 5s (no idea what that is in today's money) that would have been nearly a weeks wages for Dad. First payment was made on Oct 6th 1965 and last Nov 20th 1966.

Never used bins since buying a pair of Opticron Discovery about twelve years ago. Will have to try them.

My brother bought same pair at same time for himself to probably find his golf balls when they went astray. 

Can you remember how much you paid for them, Max?

On the binocular assortment the case on far right is same as mine from early 1960s, bought from Charles Frank of Glasgow.

A FASCINATING array of binoculars, cameras, accessories and other optical equipment will this week go under the hammer at an auction in Yorkshire.

For any interested  birders, one of the star lots (3248) will be a pair of  Swarovski Optik EL 10x42 SV binoculars for which the pre-sale estimate is £400-£600.

Predicted to sell for a lesser amount is a collection of older binocular models, of various brands, where the guide price for the total is £140-£180.Likely to be of limited value in the field but definitely of interest as a talking-point collector’s item is Lot 3246 - a brass refracting telescope.

Also up for grabs are scores of cameras and accessories, often several included within a single lot.One item is an a Olympus OM10 camera which, bizarrely, is being sold alongside a Hohner button accordion.

The on-the-premises sale, which will also accommodate telephone and online bids, is to be held tomorrow (Wednesday September 27) by Tennants of Leyburn.

It also includes a whole orchestra’s worth of musical instruments, plus  Fender electric guitars and, in good time for Halloween (if somewhat morbidly). . . a human half-skeleton with skull. 

More information  at:  www.tennants.co.uk