News

There's an article in today's Daily Telegraph entitled Art Sales: the market for celebrity memorabilia. It starts by making a statement and then asking a question. 

The annual auction market for rock and film memorabilia has grown from about £200,000 in 1982 to £20 million today. Are celebrity mementoes the new antiques?

Well of course the mementos are not the new antiques, they are by and large just another area of the collectables market. There is no doubting the rise in interest as can be seen by the increasing amount of space given over to such things in the new Miller's Collectables handbook. And in all honesty I think that the increase quoted is way under what the market is worth today. I would estimate that the market for rock and pop memorabilia is vastly in excess of £30 million, without the addition of the film area. Nevertheless it's good that there is such strong interest.

The article is, in part, about the British Antique Dealers' Association fair which starts next week in Duke of York Square, Chelsea, more details HERE

Just wanted to give you some advance warning of a new glass and ceramics fair that promises to be an exciting event for London. Called SE21 it is to be launched at Dulwich College in the light-filled modernist setting of the Christison Hall on Sunday 28th March 2010. This event with up to eighty exhibitors represents a new concept in specialist fairs, bringing together antique and contemporary glass with ceramics from both the secondary market and directly from the artists themselves.

Visitors will be able to browse all types of decorative and collectable glass and ceramics; from Powell to Poole, Moorcroft to Keith Murray and Faience to Fat Lava. Specialists in 18th century drinking glasses, stylish Scandinavian and Italian pieces, antique continental glass such as Gallé and Lalique and British art glass will exhibit alongside trusted quality ceramics experts and contemporary glass and ceramics makers.

In addition, a glassblowing demonstration will be given in the courtyard by Ed and Margaret Burke of E&M Glass and Mark Hill will be signing copies of his books.

The fair will be open from 10.30am until 4.00pm and admission is £5 with free entry for accompanied children under 16. For more information click HERE

My Financial Times article this week is all about desks and writing accoutrements. Called 'On the Write Lines' you can read it HERE

Now that I've got to grips wiith the gentle art of blogging I thought it was high time that I took the next step and started a Facebook page. I know for some people that is an easier way of keeping up with things. You will find my facebook page HERE

In another story of an amazing piece of undervaluing a Chinese vase thought to have been worth under a £100 has sold for close to £100,000 at an auction at Sheppards Irish Auction House in Durrow. County Laois, Ireland.

The 12-inch porcelain vase was mistaken for a replica Imperial vase by the auctioneers. The auction began with an opening bid of $70, before two  dealers then started bidding in multipules of a thousand. It was all over in a few minutes and a London dealer, Richard Peters, made the winning bid. Mr. Peters said that the market is "filled with fakes and forgeries" but this vase was "made for the personal collection of the Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century" and had “probably been looted from the Imperial Palace in Peking by French or British or American soldiers sometime during the 19th century".

Everday people are finding amazing things proving the point that those who say there are nothing left to discover could not be more wrong.