Why did you start? When did you start? Are you crazy? Normal questions asked by people on learning my hobby is
corkscrew collecting. And it is really difficult to answer question one, Why?.
My Wife + I (pre kids) were staying with friends in Essex and they took us for a stroll around Long Milford in Suffolk, so
named because its one long street full of antique shops! Having enjoyed an (occasional !) glass of wine for many a
year I was attracted to a couple of interesting corkscrews so I bought them and that started an addiction that I have
been feeding now for 9 years.
So having answered questions one and two the remaining answer has to be yes because since that first purchase I
have been collecting like crazy ever since. I remember all too well the first book I found (Coldicotts A guide to
corkscrew collecting) which led me to find dealers and other books. Certainly in the early days my quest for knowledge
was insatiable and no doubt some purchases I made in error helped me on my steep learning curve.
When I first started I made the mistake of many others I bought all I could find and don’t forget in those days there was
no armchair shopping as Ebay hadn’t really started. Thus I trawled around shops and Antique Fairs making contacts
that really helped me develop both my knowledge and my collection. I still rue entering the corkscrew arena so late,
some had been collecting and dealing for 25 years plus and still share stories of the ‘old’ days. Indeed I met a dealer
this morning at Ardingly Antiques Fair and he was telling me of the ‘Obstando’ Henshall Corkscrew he bought at the
same fair some years back for £20 ($38) …needless to say I didn’t repeat his trick this morning !
So the collection started haphazardly and continued that way for many a year. I found Auctions in my early days and
remember all too well my early bidding, driven by enthusiasm and the apparent lack of ability to lower my bidding
paddle, I know I overpaid for some items. (Indeed Fletcher Wallis ‘Wally’ even told me so in the Gents at Sothebys one
time when I overbid for a Lund Lever).
However my knowledge improved and my contacts widened, indeed some corkscrews started to come to me so I had to
make a decision about the collection. Shed all bar English items which would still give me a huge choice and probably
a never ending quest. Now I only buy English Corkscrews for the collection but of course cannot resist other items if
the price is right. They go on Ebay where I have been buying and selling for 5 years.
I belong to both the CCCC ( Canadian Corkscrew Collectors Club) and the ABCDE ( Association of British Corkscrew
Devotees + Enthusiasts) and both these clubs have helped me further the collection.
But it’s not all about Corkscrews as over the years I have met some great characters and made some good friends.
The auctions now conclude with lunch etc where more corkscrews are shown, bought + sold. The meetings take us all
over Europe and indeed this year I will attend the CCCC meeting in Italy where no doubt corkscrews and wine will over
abound.
So have I found some good bargains? You bet probably the best was a Van Geisen in an Antique shop in Sussex
where I had to beat the guy down for £66 to £60 ($115)! I must have skipped out of the shop and all round that town.
I’ve also turned some down when now I know I should have bought them. I can still hear Peter Carrs words ringing out
‘Jim if you don’t buy it now someone else will ‘I went away for 2 mins to reflect and returned to find the Soho Patent
Henshall had been sold for £625 ($1150) and that was probably only 4 years ago.
Nowadays I attend the large fairs ( Newark + Ardingly ) whenever I can, I always try to get to Christies every 6 months
and I search the local auction houses weekly to see what’s still out there. Will this addiction ever be beaten? I cannot
see it stopping but who knows, Liz keeps talking about the next house and that might involve selling some beloved
corkscrews. In the meantime I’ll keep adding whenever I can.
A tradition of the CCCC is to supply a ‘Best Six’ annually and I thought for Peters site I’d compile some best sixes of
various types so watch this space for my best six Thomasons
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