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Macallan case valued at £138k bought for £200 on eBay

09 November 2023 By James Evison

In an incredible piece of knowledge, a window salesman and whisky aficionado called Fraser, paid £199 for an ultra-rare Macallan display case on the online auction site eBay.

While some invest in cryptocurrency or other get-rich-quick schemes, an unusual approach to money making can also pay dividends: being a whisky aficionado.

After purchasing,Fraser took the empty case, which should have housed one of ten ultra-limited edition bottles of The Macallan 1926 60 Year Old Valerio Adami, to a local whisky merchant who gave him the news it was worth as much as £138,600.

Fraser told Business Manchester: “When checking eBay one day, I could not believe my own eyes. The first image was a close-up of a tiny plaque, inscribed with four numerals: 1926.”

Incredibly, after buying it in 2003, the salesman kept hold of the case for a decade, before finally getting it valued by broker and merchant Mark Littler.

Littler said that it was “an incredibly difficult item to value” and gave the £138,600 figure based on 15% of the value of the last bottle of the 1926 Valerio Adami that was sold for £924,000.

He said: “I understand that the valuation of the case might raise eyebrows, and it’s important to highlight the distinct nature of rare whisky collecting.

“The £138,600 price tag, though an undeniably divisive price for a case, reflects the rarity and desirability of the Macallan 1926 60 year old.

“For the individual who possesses the corresponding Macallan bottle, missing its original case, this box is not just packaging—it’s a vital piece of the whisky’s legacy, rendering it priceless. In this unique market, such elements are key in preserving both the monetary and sentimental value of these rare treasures.”

Only 40 bottles of the 1926 whisky were produced in 1986. Of these, 12 featured labels designed by artist Sir Peter Blake, 12 by Italian painter Valerio Adami, and just one by Irish artist Michael Dillon.

In 2019, one of the non-artist lable bottles was sold at auction for £1.5 million.

At the present time, it is believed there are around 10 bottles with an Adami label, with others lost or drunk.

Littler added: “The fact remains that there may be a bottle out there which is lying there without the case which is dramatically undervalued as a result.

“If we can find that bottle that goes with it, then both parties can be happy.”

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