SEWING was a popular pastime in the Victorian period and the one item that anyone skilled with a needle would require would be a thimble.

You would perhaps not expect such a relatively small and humble item to attract much interest among collectors these days, but you would be wrong.

Thimbles are very collected, partly because they come in such a vast array of different designs, and also because they take up a relatively small amount of room, so collectors can acquire quite a number without having to build an extension on their house.

It was a popular practice in the Victorian period for thimbles to be bought as presents and often they came with a small fitted case, only a trifle bigger than the thimble itself yet complete with a little fastener.

The case would have a decorative finish, sometimes with a floral decoration, even inlaid, or made of leather or fabric and the interior would be beautifully lined with velvet.

Surviving examples of thimbles in their original cases do fetch premium prices, often from about £15 to £45, but the thimbles themselves can also make that sort of money if they are sufficiently interesting.

Now what makes a thimble interesting?

Well, not all thimbles are the same. Some were made in brass, some in silver, some in just base metal.

They were also made of bone, ivory, copper, even glass and porcelain.

Thimbles also had different designs on the surfaces, sometimes just a pattern, but often a manufacturer's name or inscription, an advertising message, sometimes just a picture.

All these factors come into play and excite the interest of collectors who are constantly searching the fairs, shops and auctions for different designs.

There is evidence that even in the earliest periods of human history, a form of thimble was used, often made from just a piece of rock or bone, and the word thimble itself is thought to come from an old English word, "thymel", which means a thumb stall.

By the 14th century, thimbles were being widely made in iron, brass or bronze, and the wealthiest of households would even go to the trouble of having them made in gold or silver, with crests or family coats of arms on them.

It's unlikely that many people are going to come across these quite rare examples these days, but certainly by the mid-19th century, thimble manufacturers were really being very inventive with their designs, and it is these examples that tend to crop up most commonly and which are most sought after today.

Silver was a popular material for thimbles, and often there is a tiny hallmark on the rim which allows it to be dated to a specific year.

Sometimes engraved with scrolls, foliage, embossing or engraving, silver thimbles sometimes come in a small fitted case and some exceptional examples can make £50 to £100, though the more conventional figure would be more like £30 to £50.

Thimbles, perhaps made just of metal, but carrying a manufacturers name, or sometimes an advertising logo, perhaps for a sewing machine company such as Jones or Singer are also very appealing to collectors who will pay a premium price.

Other companies such as Hovis, Oxo, Lipton's Tea or even Andrews Liver Salts all advertised on thimbles!

Pottery and porcelain thimbles often featured decorative scenes such as birds or flowers or butterflies, even animals, famous people, and sometimes historical events.

The birth of Prince William was commemorated on a thimble, and so too was the Falklands War.

Maybe the little thimble isn't quite such a humble item after all!