Unopened 1920s box of Christmas crackers from Mablethorpe sold at auction

The box, which has never been opened, contains 12 party crackers dating from the 1920s or 1930s.

They were found in a wardrobe during the clearance of a house belonging to retired Gainsborough businessman John Goddard, who died earlier this year.

John’s daughters, Nicky Goddard and Karen Grundy, believe the crackers were given to their grandparents by friends in Mablethorpe who owned shops during that period.

But at the time, they were considered too luxurious to pull. So it became a family tradition each Christmas that the box would be placed at the foot of the Goddards’ family Christmas tree for the duration of the festive season and then returned to the wardrobe.

They were passed down to John, who duly maintained the tradition. But during the house-clearance, Nicky and Karen decided to see how much they would fetch at auction.

At Potters Auction Saleroom in Messingham, the crackers attracted 25 bidders from all over the country, with the successful one being a person from Scarborough, who offered £72.

Auctioneer Paul Potter felt they might have raised a bigger price, considering they cost as much as five shillings (25p) all those years ago.

But Nicky told the BBC after the auction: “It was never about how much they were worth. The fact that they were part of our wonderful family meant they were priceless.

"It would be nice to know if the new owner ever opens the box. It would be lovely to know what is actually inside the crackers.

"But to us, it was another legacy and a memory of our wonderful parents.”

Kat Lister, of Potters, said: “We were asked to go along to assist the family in clearing Mr Goddard’s home. The art deco crackers were found amidst decorations stored away in a wardrobe.

"I optimistically remarked that I didn’t suppose there were any crackers in the box, and was absolutely flabbergasted when they lifted the lid.

"Apparently, Nicky and Karen did once suggest to John that perhaps the time had come to pull one or two and find out what was inside them. But he remained unmoved.

“They are Joey Party Crackers, made in England and, according to a sticker attached to the side of the box, they are filled with party hats and caps.

“Presumably, such fine crackers will also contain gifts, riddles or mottos and, of course, terrible jokes -- all staple contents of crackers within a few years of their invention in 1847.

“It goes without saying that surviving examples of crackers of this age are rare. Most boxes of crackers don’t make it past their first Christmas, so to find survivors in this condition is really special.”