2026 at Yorkshire Auction House – the experts for buying & selling antiques, vintage, retro and collectables
A fascinating, and beautiful, piece of Yorkshire’s military history will go on sale later this year – but does your home have any hidden gems waiting to be discovered?
Perhaps those medals gathering dust are quite rare, or you can provide the real-life history (provenance) behind them. Is that nest of tables actually a sought-after mid-century Ercol classic, are granny’s old candlesticks solid silver or just shiny ornaments, and does that costume jewellery actually contain priceless stone?
Hartleys Auctions have been valuing and selling time-touched treasures and household heirlooms as West Yorkshire’s leading fine arts and antiques auctioneers since 1906. And with an auction of general household items – an eclectic mix of retro, vintage, collectables and antiques of all kinds – every week and specialist auctions every quarter, they are always keen to find new items to put under the hammer at the auction house in Ilkley. (check out the calendar of auctions here)
Family firm with a friendly face
Today the firm is very much still in the family. Brother and sister Emma Padgett and Charlie Hartley are at the helm as sole directors – Charlie, who has been shifting furniture since the age of eight, now runs the valuation and auctioneering side of the business whilst Emma, who has worked there since 1990, keeps all the cogs turning behind the scenes. Charlie describes her as the “Pepper Potts” of the outfit – that’s a Marvel comic reference, which, incidentally, could be highly collectable and ideal for the toys and collectors auction coming up in April!
“There’s no sibling rivalry here though,” said Charlie. “Our strengths complement each other and we both love what we do.”
List your items, or get a valuation
The stuff of yesteryear could be someone else’s time-touched treasure or classic collectable and the next specialist sale will be this spring.
March 19, 2026
A quality ‘flagship’ fine sale which includes ceramics, glass, silver, gold, jewellery, art and furniture from antique to high-design 20th century items such as mid-century classics.
They are collecting items for sale for this auction from now until February 16
Military memorabilia
The sale also has a specialist section of arms & militaria, filled with old muskets, swords, medals and the like – a branch of antiques and collectables that Charlie specialises in.
He said there were some quite emotive pieces that have potentially played big parts in history, such as a 1st West Yorkshire Yeomanry Cavalry helmet.
These were worn by every day men from the county, who served in volunteer regiments. Some belonged to Sergeant H.B.S. Carr and dates from the early 1900s.
“We also have his medals in the same auction from his military service in the Second Boer War,” Charlie said. “The three medals include a South Africa Medal for 1902 with clasps for Transvaal, Orange Free State and Cape Colony. There is also a Territorial Force Efficiency Medal and a Yorkshire Yeomanry Medal for South Africa 1901 and 1902.”
Do you have anything worth selling?
You may be an antiques expert, a keen collector or have vogue for vintage but even if you don’t know a Constable from a Caravaggio, a Chippendale from a Mouseman, your Clarice Cliff from your Cinque Ports or diamonds from diamante, help is at hand.
Nothing is too old, or too new, for the valuers to have a look at – and one man’s junk could be another’s pride and joy!
“Most of the people we are dealing with are just ordinary people. We’ve had lovely clients over the years, who have never bought or sold an antique in their live before they came to us,” said Charlie. It might be an unfamiliar process, but the team at Hartleys are there to give friendly advice and help you every step of the way.
He describes one couple who moved into a home with just basic furniture but started coming to the monthly auctions and kitted out their whole house with pre-loved vintage items and antiques, making a unique interior, and bagging some great bargains.
Pre-loved is eco-friendly and have personality!
“If something has lasted a hundred years or more, it’ll last a few more,” says Emma, who says modern interiors, whilst stylish, can lack that ‘personal’ touch.
“You don’t have to buy an expensive antique or painting to make a statement,” she said. “If you like the look of something, you should get it! It’s lovely to walk into someone’s home and see something unusual, even if it’s not your taste, it’s interesting.”
Buying vintage, retro or antique items means you’re not wasting valuable new resources, there are few transport miles and, best of all if you fall out of love with a style, want a new look, or change your mind about your collection, you simply sell it on and start a new one!
“It’s the ultimate in recycling,” says Emma
So, whether you are having a new year declutter, moving home, need to get a house cleared, downsizing upsizing or simply fancy a change of interior style Hartleys Auctions is a fantastic place to buy and sell.
Contact Hartleys
Check out the website here
Save the dates and see the calendar of auctions here
Contact them for a valuation or to make an enquiry here