On my recent trip to Dublin to talk at the Irish Antiques Dealer’s annual fair, I picked up an interesting book on the €1 vintage book stand at the Dublin Flea Market. Called ‘Antique Dealer: An Autobiography‘ and written by R.P. Way, it was published by Michael Joseph in 1956. I thought anyone who was […]
Most glass collectors will know the eye-catching iridescent glass in the Art Nouveau style (see left) typified by the production of the great glass companies Lötz (or Loetz) in Austria and Tiffany in the US from the 1890s into the early 20thC. The recent discovery of the Loetz pattern books in 1989 and work undertaken […]
Since writing my book on Mdina Glass & Isle of Wight Studio Glass (which is now out of print), I’ve encountered a number of vases with coloured swirly patterning like this. People have brought them to me at BBC Antiques Roadshows and other events to ask whether they’re Mdina Glass, or which range of Isle […]
It’s a thorny one, this. I might not make many new friends, but dealers, auction house specialists and other ‘experts’ (if you really want to use that word) will undoubtedly nod knowingly. They may even sigh in agreement. Let me start this off by saying that, like any normal, adjusted and sociable human being, most […]
Regular readers of my blog will know that, every now and again, something catches my eye and mind and I simply have to have it, regardless of whether I collect it or not. The last one was the intriguing ‘Internet Radio‘ and this time I got snared by a jam pot. But a jam pot […]
In these days of ‘celebrity worship’, it’s always significant when one of them shows their love for antiques. Where they go, a great many follow. When Harry Styles from One Direction (right) was spotted at an antiques fair last year buying “a van load” of antique furniture for his new flat, it caused a new […]
Back in April, a year-long, nationwide project reached a sparkling and exciting peak as we announced the ‘Antiques Young Gun’ of the year for 2013. Many think the antiques world is dry, dusty and staid and certainly not a place for career driven, intelligent and entrepreneurial young people. Not so! In fact, there are many […]
When I started working in the antiques industry, buying at auction was deemed buying at ‘trade’, and buying from a dealer was deemed ‘retail’. And price levels typically matched that. But things were already on the move. An auction was held during the week, you really needed to view the objects before you bought them […]
The only reason you should buy any antique or collectable is because you like it. My problem is that I find objects that I like all too frequently, be they online, at a fair or in a shop. It’s almost like a disease, but a pleasant one I guess! Before last week’s Antiques Roadshow at […]
“I lost my job.” is sadly something I hear with increasing frequency when I visit an antiques fair where anyone can turn up and sell. Of course, as one immediately feels bad about their self-esteem, children, loans, bills and the mortgage. But I also worry a little. I worry that all their newly ‘chosen’ profession […]
A few months ago, I published a post about some exciting new Italian ceramics by the mysterious ‘Flower Painter’ that I had found. You can read the post by clicking here. As they sadly didn’t reveal the identity of the designer or factory, but just tantalised with more clues, I set the challenge of finding […]
One of the great pleasures in life is browsing a secondhand bookshop. That joy of coming across a book that you didn’t even know existed, and that raises a smile or piques an interest can’t be matched. The experience can’t be replicated with eBooks either. One of my favourite places to browse is Judd Books, […]