Home / Arts and Entertainment / £40 Buttons Fetch £61,000: Rare Find Stuns Owner
£40 Buttons Fetch £61,000: Rare Find Stuns Owner
19 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Rare buttons bought for £40 sold for £61,000 at auction.
- The buttons were designed by Alberto Giacometti in the 1930s.
- The buyer was shocked, stating he's not an antiques expert.
A man's lucky find has resulted in a substantial financial gain after he discovered a pair of extremely rare buttons. Gary Quittenton-Shaw purchased the items for a modest £40 in a job lot in Derby. He later researched his find and identified them as creations by Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti for fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli during the 1930s.
These historically significant buttons were subsequently sold at Bonhams auctioneers in Knightsbridge, London. The individual sale of the buttons achieved an impressive £61,000, excluding auction fees. Mr. Quittenton-Shaw expressed his astonishment at the outcome.
Speaking about the discovery, he shared his disbelief, noting that he is not a professional antiques dealer and does not pursue this as a livelihood. This remarkable turn of events highlights how valuable items can be overlooked and later discovered to be treasures.
