Where to buy Mouseman furniture?
You can buy Mouseman to order from the visitor centre in Kilburn. You can also buy Mouseman from both antique dealers and auctions. All have their own pros and cons.
Items bought from the visitor centre are often brand new and made to order. As with any retail product, you will be paying a premium, but will get unparalleled service.
Buying used or antique Mouseman from a dealer is a good option. They will, of course, be limited to their stock so it may take a while to find the item you are looking for. Dealers are often the best place to secure rare and antique pieces of Mouseman.
You can buy Mouseman furniture at auction. There are over 400 auction houses in the UK and most have well-illustrated catalogues. Buying at auction will save you considerably over the above two options but it may not be easy to track down your item and you will be responsible for transport. Remember most auctions charge around 30% in buyers commission.
You can also buy from our clients. If you are looking for a particular item we can keep your details on file and let you know when we have a piece that meets your requirements.
What is Mouseman?
Mouseman is a distinctive style of oak furniture created by Robert Thompson that has a distinctive carved mouse on every piece. Robert ‘Mousey’ Thompson was born in 1876 in Kilburn, North Yorkshire and items of Mouseman furniture continue to be made in Kilburn under the very capable hands of Ian Cartwright, the great-grandson of Robert Thompson.
Who was the Mouse Man?
The mouse man, or mouseman, was Robert Thompson. Born in 1876, Robert was the son of the village joiner and wheelwright. His first work was for churches and schools in the surrounding area. He established a furniture making business in the village of Kilburn, North Yorkshire and eventually copyrighted the carved Mouse trademark.
Classic Mouseman furniture from the 1930s and 1940s is highly sought after, however carved mouse items continue to be made at the Kilburn workshops today.
How to date Mouseman furniture?
Mouseman furniture is dated by various subtle changes in construction. For instance, with refectory tables, the planks that form the top were originally dowelled together to hold the joint secure. After around 1970 and the subsequent introduction of modern glue, there was no need to spend time securing the tops with dowels.
If you would like us to date your Mouseman furniture for you please use the form below.
How much is Mouseman furniture worth?
The highest price ever paid for a piece of Mouseman furniture at auction was $66,000. This was at Christie’s in 2005 (when the market was very buoyant) for a 1930’s carved oak wardrobe.
Most modern Mouseman furniture sells for a percentage of its current retail price.
The price for antique Mouseman furniture varies from piece to piece and you can learn more about what affects the value of Mouseman furniture here.
How to identify Mouseman
Most pieces of Mouseman furniture will be carved with a mouse. The mouse is very distinct in style however there are fakes on the market. The mouse illustrated here is a very typical Mouseman mouse.
Does all Mouseman furniture have a mouse?
Not all pieces of Mouseman furniture are carved with a mouse. Each mouse takes around 45 minutes to carve so adds a premium to the cost. Some ecclesiastical furniture or pieces made for schools may not have a mouse carved on the item as a cost-saving exercise.
Mouseman Museum, Yorkshire
The visitor centre and museum in Kilburn has a fantastic museum where you can learn more about Robert Thompson and see some very rare, early pieces of Mouseman.
The museum is open from April through December and it is a good idea to check the visiting times before you go. For full details click here.
Mouseman price list
You can find the full current UK price list for Mouseman furniture here. All prices include VAT and some piece may have a waiting list.
How do I sell my Mouseman furniture?
We’re one of the only independent advisors in the antiques industry. We can help you sell your Mouseman for the highest possible price and at no extra cost to yourself.
If you have a collection of Mouseman you may be considering selling at auction. This can be one of the best ways to sell your collection. However, not all auctions are equal though so care must be taken when considering which auction to use. The use of ‘the internet’ is not the universal leveller that many salerooms will lead you to believe.
We can make a personal introduction to the best saleroom based on your location free of charge. You can then be assured your collection of Mouseman will sell for the highest possible price.
We can also negotiate private sales which save you considerably in commission. Private sales can also be completed much swifter and you will get paid a lot quicker than auction.
Where to sell Mouseman furniture?
Most people sell their Mouseman furniture at auction thinking this is the best method of selling. However, auctions charge, on average, 20% commission to you (the vendor) and 30% commission to the buyer. This means that you will only get 50% of the price the buyer was prepared to pay.
We have excellent buyers for Mouseman furniture and our commission is only 12%. As a result you will get back 88% of what the buyer was prepared to pay. You can compare our offers to the estimates an auction house will give you so you can decide what is best for you.
If selling at auction is the better option, we can make a personal introduction to the saleroom that is best placed to help you sell your Mouseman.
Not all auctions are equal and there are vast differences in the prices that they achieve. Some auctioneers will say that now sales have internet bidding that this is not the case, however they are wrong and we can show you many examples where one item has sold in one sale, only to be resold in another sale for many times more.
