Rare Buchan Portobello cat

Good Morning ,
please could anyone help ?
I have a Buchan sitting cat , he’s approx 10 inches tall
Blue / Grey in colour with yellow hearts & maroon flowers all over . This ornament has been in my family since the late 60’s early 70’s I’ve tried to find similar online but with no success
I would be grateful if anyone could help
Thank you .

do you have a pic of the cat please?

a rare piece indeed. I have never seen one and t'internet came up with zilch

Thanks anyway dantheman heres a photo of the back just incase anyone else has some ideas

Yes they are quite rare. I have a massive Buchan collection, but no cats.
Shape 293 / Size 10 (inches) / M7 Glaze / 246 Pattern.
I'm sure they were done in different decorations, and maybe even different sizes.

I suspect a lot of Cat collectors are hoarding them, like the rare Denby and Langley
cats, unaware, or uninterested in who actually made them.

Thank you so much denbydump thats really helpful , it makes sense that possibly they're being hoarded by the cat collectors , i think i'm going to go to auction with it , its just been sat on my window cill for years but now i know its rare I'm rather worried that it'll get broken. Now at least i have some info to give the auctioneer .
Thanks again much appreciated

PS Before i go would you have an idea of a reserve at all please ?
Hope its not cheeky to ask

we don't offer valuations on the forum as it would attract too many requests

Thanks dantheman , should i just go with what the auctioneer suggests or is there another way i could find out please , its so difficult to know as its rare

auctioneers generally value by looking at past sales but in this case, they would find nothing

you can always try it at a high reserve then drop the reserve a little if it fails to sell

Hele, I know it appears that we are not being as helpful as we can but please imagine if we give you a low estimate and it sells high at auction, or conversely if we give a high estimate and eventually you sell it for a low price. Ceramics like yours can be notoriously hard to value and prices never stay steady. Its an impossible task,

I would recommend scouring the internet for sale values. You are not in a hurry so you have time on your side. You can also speak to more than one auction house. Be aware that items listed on the internet for very high prices often just sit unsold for ever. Just because someone is asking a price for an item does not make it worth that.

Good Luck!

I have no idea what it might be worth but, if it was mine, I would put it on eBay probably "Buy it Now" with offers accepted. I have been selling now for over 40 years and never wanted "top dollar" for anything. I suspect a "cat collector" might be the potential buyer and so I would look at sold prices of cats that seem similar. Personally, I wouldn't consider an auction house unless it was a specialist sales and I suspect it would be difficult to find a sale specialised enough for this.

Your best bet would be on Ebay. You would reach the widest audience, and as Studio says, you can gauge the interest by asking for offers. Equally ordinary auctioneers are not a good idea. In general, Buchan pottery does not sell for a great deal of money, and at most ordinary auctioneers it is sold in large lots.

Thanks all for the input , much appreciated

I would suggest putting it on eBay starting at a low price but with a high reserve. That way you can gauge the interest, and make an second chance offer to bidders if it fails to sell. The risk of putting it on as a Buy It Now when youve no idea what it’s worth is undervaluing it so it’s snapped up as a bargain (I’ve made that mistake before now)