Britons are expected to spend £823 million on Diamond Jubilee memorabilia, with the nation’s most nostalgic spending up to £40 per household in the run up to this weekend’s festivities.
The top ten items that families are buying are:
- Bunting
- Union flags
- Mugs and plates
- Tins, biscuits and teas
- Disposable cutlery
- Face masks, cake toppers and paper napkins
- Commemorative magazines
- Tea towels
- T-shirts
- Red, white, blue and Corgi balloons
After the Bank Holiday, most Diamond Jubilee paraphernalia will be hoarded for nostalgia or investment said Access Self Storage
Iain Michael Brunt, expert and owner of Antiques.co.uk said: “There’s certainly money to be made from Royal memorabilia. The key to making a worthwhile purchase is to buy pieces with future appeal. Commemorative plates, mugs, original paintings, coins and stamps are likely to hold their value well beyond this weekend.”
The Jubilee Buying Guide, May 2012, revealed by Access Self Storage
To help invest wisely, the experts tell us to follow some simple rules:
- Pay attention to the quality of the piece – some carry fine and pleasing portraits, while others feature well reproduced high quality photographs
- Portraits are key- any memorabilia with a royal face on it is likely to be more popular
- Look for matching pieces, i.e. loving cups relating to William and Harry
- Prince William pieces are more collectable than Prince Harry
- Portraits of royal children are more desirable than those of older royals
- Buy for future generations – hoarding is not a get rich quick scheme
Kevin Pratt, Royal Hoarding expert at Access Self Storage said “looking back at storage trends from previous high profile occasions and Jubilee events, we are expecting a 25% rise in the storage of royal memorabilia at our stores beginning as early as Monday next week. Future storing is definitely a growing trend. It started with hobbyists and enthusiasts but in recent years has grown way beyond that. Many of our customers use their storage units as a time capsule for the things they can store here that they can’t keep safe at home.”
