Ozzy Osbourne's family has bought up a collection of early Black Sabbath memorabilia by private treaty, days before it was due to go to auction.

The sum is undisclosed, but it's likely to have been substantially more than the lot's £3,000 ($3,968) high estimate.

Ozzy sent the postcards to his parents during a 1968-1969 tour with Earth

The collection consists of posters for concerts by Earth, Black Sabbath's first incarnation, as well as early song lyrics and photographs.

More poignantly it also included postcards Ozzy sent to his parents while on tour in Europe.

One postcard, sent from France, reads: "Arrived here safely, but it is not a very nice place, I don't think the people like long hair."

Another sent from Hamburg says: "We are going down rather well at the Star Club.

"Incidentally, it is the same club that the Beatles first made D Big Time so who knows what will happen."

All of the items in the collection date to 1968-1973 and were found in a house in London's Docklands during the 1980s.

Stephen Flintoff of Sheffield Auction Gallery told local paper The Star: "The items have been sold by private treaty, for an undisclosed sum, to the Osbourne family, ensuring that this important piece of hard rock musical history remains intact."

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