How Much Did That Sampler Sell For?

One of the many questions I am frequently asked is, How much did that sampler go for? While we post notices of samplers coming up for auction, we don't always have time or space to go back and review just how much they realised come the all-important day of the auction. So, I am picking up on a Tennants of Leyburn auction on 12 August from which we featured some text samplers - just so you can see how good your estimates were against those of the auction house. This unframed sampler worked by Sarah Hodgson 1832 in cross stitch in blue thread had a guide price of £70-£100. If you remember Sarah Hodgson from Appleton appears in the Ackworth School register for 1830-1833 and her sampler is very similar to alphanumeric samplers worked by the Mills sisters in the early 1840s. Maybe that little, last minute, unexpected information helped put the sale price up to £320 - but still that was a bargain.

The sampler above worked by Elizabeth Rawes at the Quaker Milverton School in 1790 had a guide price: £200-300 and sold for £560. And we shall be seeing more of that sampler soon.

The pair of samplers (above and below) from Chapel Allerton Girls School worked by Marianne Hildyard in 1839 and 1837 together had a guide price of £100-150 and sold for £260.

And this pair of samplers by sisters Eliza Ann and Mary Bowes had a guide price of £100-150. And the hammer went down on them for £190.