Norfolk’s biggest hoarder to auction off almost all of his possessions

Anthony Skipper is to hold an auction this weekend, selling off more than 800 items he has collected and hoarded over the years. Picture: Ian Burt Archant © 2014

Anthony Skipper became arguably the biggest hoarder in Norfolk after compulsively collecting everything and anything to help him cope with the break-up of his marriage,

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Anthony Skipper is to hold an auction this weekend, selling off more than 800 items he has collected and hoarded over the years. Picture: Ian Burt Anthony Skipper is to hold an auction this weekend, selling off more than 800 items he has collected and hoarded over the years. Picture: Ian Burt

Now, with a new love and no need for his collection, he is putting up almost everything he owns up for auction.

Between 700 and 800 items, from classic American sports cars to vintage farm machinery, will go under the hammer at the old BPI buildings, Norwich Road, Lenwade on Saturday.

Mr Skipper, 50, from Felthorpe, said: “I’ve always been fascinated by buying old things and doing them up - I’ve collected all of my life.

“But when my marriage fell apart, about four years ago, I started to go into overdrive and just collected everything and anything to help fill in what was missing from my life.”

Anthony Skipper is to hold an auction this weekend, selling off more than 800 items he has collected and hoarded over the years. Picture: Ian Burt Anthony Skipper is to hold an auction this weekend, selling off more than 800 items he has collected and hoarded over the years. Picture: Ian Burt

Mr Skipper began a new relationship with Karen Bradley, 51, from Whitwell, Derbyshire in January.

He has known her for around 30 years, through their mutual love of 1950s rock ‘n’ roll music, and they reconnected through Facebook.

Mr Skipper said: “I came to a realisation around Christmas time that I didn’t need all of this stuff and needed to move on with my life.

“It came around the same time as I started a new relationship and I’ve now got a new outlook on life.”

Anthony Skipper is to hold an auction this weekend, selling off more than 800 items he has collected and hoarded over the years. Picture: Ian Burt Anthony Skipper is to hold an auction this weekend, selling off more than 800 items he has collected and hoarded over the years. Picture: Ian Burt

Mr Skipper believes the most valuable item will be his 1965 Chevrolet C10 panel van, valued at between £4,000 and £5,000

He estimates, if everything, including eight motor vehicles, sell, he could make around £30,000.

People can bid for a 30ft Roma caravan, a Winnebago, old bicycles, furniture, sheds, a fruit machine, a carousel horse, a hay cutter, books, old tools, flower pots amongst many other things.

Mr Skipper said: “You see these television shows about hoarders and think, how can people be like that? But that was me.

“I didn’t realise how bad it had become until I started gathering all this stuff together, which took a good few weeks.

“I’ve collected things from auctions, bought stuff off friends and picked things up in skips.

“I can just about remember where everything here came from and how much I paid for it all.”

He added: “Us hoarders are like a breed, and I’ll always collect things, but it won’t be like this again.”

Full listing will be available at www.norwichlivestockmarket.com on Wednesday.

Viewings will take place from 9am until 4pm on Friday and on Saturday morning from 9am.

The auction is due to start at 10am and continue until every item is sold.

Mr Skipper wishes to thank Andre Serruys for allowing him to hold the auction in his premises.

Do you have a story about an interesting and unusual auction? E mail newsdesk@archant.co.uk