Shelter Scotland is urging bargain hunters to add some sparkle to their New Year by bidding for a diamond engagement ring worth £2,000.

The Shelter shop is asking interested buyers to make sealed bids for the ring, from a generous anonymous donor, starting at £300.

The hugely popular sale day, which takes place on Monday January 4, 2010, will include some gorgeous designer clothes and quirky collectors items. This year's top pieces for sale include fabulous Zandra Rhodes and Jean Muir 70's dresses, French Connection clothes, a Weill watch, cashmere sweaters, a Victorian Copeland jug, a vintage microscope, Selkirk art glassware, and linen maps of Italy from the 50s.

In previous years, bargain hunters have queued for over two hours in anticipation of the opening. Last year the shop took over £2,000 in the first couple of hours of the sale.

This year's sale will coincide with the Shelter bookshop next door holding a special antiquarian sale, which will include a translation of the Odyssey of Homer dated 1771 and six volumes of the works of Alexander Pope dated 1770.

Shelter shop manager, Pete Jew, said: 'We are really excited about this year's sale at our Stockbridge shop. As well as the beautiful diamond engagement ring, which we're hoping will attract lots of bids, we've also got some really unique designer pieces on offer that we hope shoppers will be keen to snap up.

'Our annual sale has been a fantastic success in previous years and we hope it will help us generate valuable funds again this time around. All the money raised will go towards providing free housing advice and help us continue to campaign for everyone to have a home.'

Bids on the ring can be placed by handing your bid in a sealed envelope to the Shelter shop on Raeburn Place.

Notes to editors

1. Shelter shop manager, Pete Jew, will be available at the shop on the day of the sale for interview – telephone 0131 343 2963.
2. More details on the sale can be found on Shelter Scotland's Facebook page.
   
3. Shelter Scotland believes everyone should have a home. The charity helps 170,000 people a year across the UK fight for their rights, get back on their feet, and find and keep a home. We also tackle the root causes of Scotland’s housing crisis by campaigning for new laws, policies and solutions.