Whisky Auctioneer To Host Landmark Sale Of World’s Largest Johnnie Walker Collection
Whisky Auctioneer is set to auction an unprecedented 3,200-piece archive ranging through bottles, miniatures and pieces of original advertising and memorabilia tracing a century of Johnnie Walker history, with bidding open from September 11 to 21.
The man behind the collection is Frans Op den Kamp, whose 20 year Johnnie Walker journey began in 1999 with a $130 bottle of Blue Label bought on his way home from a business trip to New York.
He said: "Parting with the collection is certainly not easy, but I feel I have achieved what I set out to do. I hope these bottles find their way to collectors who discover something that resonates with them, whether that’s a particular whisky, a moment in Johnnie Walker’s history or simply the thrill of the hunt."
Over two decades, his fascination evolved into an encyclopaedic knowledge of the brand, with fellow collectors and industry figures turning to him for help dating, valuing and authenticating bottles.
The archive serves as a complete physical and visual record of Johnnie Walker's 20th-century progression, combining early 1900s Old Highland Whisky releases with rare modern editions across a massive 3,200-piece lineup: 1,600-plus full-size bottles, over 600 miniatures, and more than 1,000 original promotional artifacts.
Archive highlights feature pre-1968 corked Red, Black, and Swing bottlings alongside historic Cardhu, Talisker, and Mortlach single malts bearing original John Walker labels.
These vintage rarities sit beside prized modern expressions like the 1805 Celebration Blend gifted to just 200 notable figures for John Walker’s 200th birthday, and Jenson Button’s F1 Signature Blend, capped at 25 bottles and sold exclusively via private invitation in Shanghai.
Shipped from California to Scotland for cataloging and photography, the archive joins Whisky Auctioneer’s portfolio of major single-owner auctions, following the record-setting sale of Colorado’s The Perfect Collection.
Dr. Nick Morgan, Whisky Historian and author of the Johnnie Walker bicentennial history, A Long Stride said: “These objects reveal how the brand evolved from the first appearance of the iconic Striding Man figure in 1908 into the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky.
"Collections like this are invaluable because they allow us to experience history not just through documents and written records, but through the bottles, labels and objects that people actually bought, drank and occasionally kept for posterity."
Those interested can register for the auction and receive first access to auction previews, collector's guides, and free artwork downloads on the Whisky Auctioneer website.
Kanpai!
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
