The latest issue of the consistently enjoyable BBC Homes & Antiques magazine is out now, and includes an ‘Instant Expert’ article I wrote on Venini glass. A truly legendary name from the Italian island of Murano, the company has a global reputation for its fabulous glass. Read about the history of the company, the most […]
I had to buy a new Blackberry last weekend, after my previous one died. Standing in the queue to pay, I mulled over how the PDA and smartphone have completely replaced the Filofax. A trusty companion of the Sloane Ranger and Yuppie (remember them?), the fad for these luxury leather small folders has almost completely […]
I’ve had a lot of questions and emails lately about when the next edition of the Miller’s Collectables Price Guide will be available. We usually publish it in Autumn each year but, partly taking into account the hard year we all had, we took the difficult decision to delay it until the official start of […]
Very early one cold, windy and rainy morning this Autumn, I found this vase at a fair in the South of England. Against the grey day, it did rather stand out. I automatically presumed it was postwar Italian from fifty paces, so honed in to have a closer look. Whilst it looked like the type […]
…said the lady behind the desk of the antiques centre I was in as I plonked it in front of the till. Perhaps she was right. It wasn’t a shape I immediately recognised, and it had a cut and polished scooped rim that I’d usually associate with Scandinavian makers. Still, even if it was a […]
I’ve just got back from the fantastic Bygone Times, in Eccleston, near Chorley in Lancashire. This really is one of my favourite places in the entire country to visit. Two truly enormous warehouses literally crammed with everything from Georgian to modern await you – with prices from as little as a pound or two. The […]
I’ve just got back from the wonderful National Glass Fair, held at the Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. Apart from meeting many friends and colleagues, the highlight of the day was buying a copy of Charles Hajdamach’s new book ’20th Century British Glass’. If you love glass, go out and buy a copy – now! This […]
In today’s Evening Standard, City Spy revealed that global coffee chain Starbucks was excited about the imminent redecoration of all its UK stores. Rather than the bland, blond wood, laminate floored, Ikea look we’re all used to, a “retro” style will be ushered in. Apparently the “antiques” to be used were sourced in Turkish bazaars, […]
I’ve just returned from a visit to the wonderful Bushwood Antiques, and am truly excited. Based in the beautiful countryside near Hemel Hempstead, the drive there is fantastic enough, but not as fantastic as the place itself. Over 7,500 pieces of antique furniture await you, ranging in date from the 16th to early 20th centuries, […]
I know it’s not everyone’s taste, but taxidermy seems to be seeing a firm return to fashion. Although I’ve been a long-time fan, I first covered this area professionally in the DK Collectables Price Guide 2007, published in 2006. Since then, the small seed of a trend has turned into something much more. Even to […]
It’s always worth doing your homework properly, checking any marks on a piece against your research. A few months ago, I found a rather amusingly mis-described item for sale. The seller knew exactly what it was, and described it accurately as an “Isle of Wight Studio Glass Fish vase designed by Michael Harris”. They also […]
Our first stop was the capital city of Beijing, known as Peking until the Revolution in 1949. After a recouperative night’s sleep following the 9 hour flight from London, I set off mid-morning to enormous Panjiayuan antiques market in the south east of the city. Although many flea markets are overrun with tourists, particularly in […]