TELEPHONES of all shapes and sizes will be auctioned next week.

A private collection of about 300 phones will be sold at Tennants, in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on Saturday, March 3.

The collection includes some of the earliest phones made, plus novelty phones, military phones and public phones.

The star of the show is a rare gilt-decorated Ericsson skeleton telephone, which dates back to the early 1900s. It is expected to fetch between £300 and £500.

Another unusual item is an early Post Office candlestick phone that could fetch about £100. The collection also includes several Mickey Mouse and Snoopy phones from the 1970s.

Nick Lambert, collectables specialist at Tennants, said the large selection of Bakelite phones were likely to prove popular.

One red Bakelite phone with a chrome dial from the 1950s, which has been converted to work on the modern telephone system, is expected to fetch between £120 and £180.

"If you are into retro things, these are very nice," Mr Lambert said.

"People want them because they are a collectable and you can take home and use."

The collection also includes numerous items of telephone memorabilia, such as General Post Office propaganda posters, telephone money boxes and early 1900s bound telephone directories.

The collection will be sold in 52 different lots.