Exciting New Ceramics & Glass Fair in London

I love a good fair, especially those run by Specialist Glass Fairs. The dynamic duo behind the rapidly expanding portfolio are delighted to announce an all-new fair to be held at Dulwich College in South London on Sunday 28th March. To be held in the beautiful and aptly Modernist style Christison Hall from 10.30am until 4pm, the fair sees the addition of ceramics dealers to the usual stable of fabulous glass dealers. Visitors will be able to browse all types of decorative and collectable glass and ceramics from across the centuries; from Powell to Poole, Moorcroft to Murray and faience to Fat Lava.
Specialists in 18th century drinking glasses, stylish and hotly desirable 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. Amongst them, these two stunning pieces will be displayed. The first is a rare 1960s Poole Pottery 'Tree of Life' charger by Tony Morris, available from Mark Hitchings, and the second is an Arts and Crafts candelabra in 'Straw Opal' glass by James Powell and Sons, c1890, which will be available from Nigel Benson.
I'll also be there signing a full range of my books and the new edition of the Miller's Collectables Price Guide and Handbook 2010-2011, together with a limited quantity of the book that accompanies my new BBC2 TV series, 'Cracking Antiques'. For more information, check out the fair's website at www.gcse21.com. Make a note in your diary, and I hope to see you there!

They're still out there....

....bargains, I mean. Too often do I hear the moan that 'There's no point looking, everything that can be found has been found...' Not true! Last month my glass collector friend Bob discovered this gem in his local charity shop in South London. Designed by Frank Thrower in 1967, and numbered 'FT23', it was part of the first range offered by the now world-famous Dartington Glass. Produced in the company's characteristic early Kingfisher' blue, Flame red, Midnight grey, and colourless glass, it was expensive at the time and did not sell well. Compared to smaller Dartington, few were sold before it was withdrawn in 1970. Examples are rare today, particularly in colours. I think it would cost from £200-300 from a specialist dealer - so the couple of pounds hawk-eyed Bob paid could really pay off!

Cambridge Glass Fair

Yesterday saw a nerve-shredding drive up the M11 to the 14th Cambridge Glass Fair at Chilford Hall. As ever, it was well worth it. I was one of many hundreds who braved the torrential rain and flocked to the event to buy the best in glass from 18thC drinking glasses to 21stC contemporary studio glass.
My collecting habits are somewhat obscure right now, but I was delighted to buy this piece of Czech glass from Italian glass supremo Massimo Marino. For those of you who don't recognise it, it's from the 'Flora' range, designed by Frantisek Koudelka and made at the Prachen Glassworks. This range is featured in a 1974 edition of Czechoslovak Glass Review, which describes it as lending a "refreshing touch to every modern home". It was inspired by Koudelka's 1973 'Karneval' range, which has similar decoration, and also by antique coloured glass from the Harrachov glassworks.
At 35cm (13.75in) high, it's the largest one I've ever seen but friends' responses were muted, with one even describing it as 'arty farty'! I'll leave you to make your own mind up, but I'm a fan of the abstract design, the shape that harks back to Czech Art Nouveau forms, and the high quality.
On my way around the huge fair, I also enjoyed chatting with dealer friends including Alison Snelgrove, Peter Elliott, Danny Walker, Ron & Ann Wheeler, Tracy Opie and Andrew Lineham.
I also spotted a lady buying this beautifully modern bull. Judging by the colour, I think it was made by Zeleznybrod Sklo in Czechoslovakia and, although I can't find a direct reference, I think it was most probably designed by Miroslav Janku. Of great quality, I think she did well at £60.
Paul & Christina Bishop run the most successful and enjoyable glass fairs in the UK - I really can't recommend visiting one enough. Click here to visit their website to see when a fair near you will be on. Next up on the agenda is the Ceramics & Glass Fair at the historic Dulwich College in South London on March 28th. If you do come, do pop over and say 'hello', as I'll be selling my own books as well as a range of Miller's books at the event.

BBC's Cracking Antiques is announced

Cracking Antiques is on a myth-busting mission to prove that people can add style and glamour to any type of home by investing in second-hand, vintage and antique furnishings – without breaking the bank.

The prime-time series, coming to BBC Two from April 7th at 8.30pm is presented by interior designer Kathryn Rayward and antiques expert Mark Hill.

Kathryn and Mark want to take the pain and shame out of buying old. From town houses to terraced houses, 18th-century French Rococo to shabby chic, they want to show that antiques and vintage furnishings can help create a stylish, fashionable home and are often the better buy.

Cracking Antiques shows that spending wisely on second-hand objects can be a cheaper and unique alternative to much of what the High Street has to offer, and in comparison, antiques are well-made and built to last so are also a much more environmentally sound investment.

The nation loves nothing more than trawling for trinkets and treasures at the thousands of antiques fairs, car boot sales and auction houses up and down the country, and as a result the British antiques industry is highly lucrative. But are people buying the right items, at the right price?

Mark Hill says: "Unique investments in quality and craftsmanship that will last a lifetime, prices that have never been more affordable, and individual statement pieces that will make a house your home, tell a story, and shout out your true personality. Antiques need to be taken off their pedestal and we should allow them to become exuberant and enjoyable parts of our lives."

Kathryn Rayward says: "Buying antiques is recycling at its most glamorous! Purchasing second-hand goods means we're not cutting down trees and damaging the planet. Embracing unloved family heirlooms or giving a quick lick of paint to a cheap and cheerful junk shop find can create a beautiful and utterly unique home."

Throughout the series, Kathryn offers interior design ideas and practical suggestions on how to customise and revamp the tired and the distressed to transform them into glamorous and modern pieces. Meanwhile Mark is on hand with his top tips and helpful advice on the items to buy now, that could go up in value in the future.

From furniture to light fittings, curtains to crockery, Cracking Antiques provides the all-important guide to furnishing a home with classic pieces, how to bag a bargain and how to buy an investment piece for the future.

BBC Commissioning Editor, Jo Ball, says: "Mark and Kathryn are great talents and I hope they will make the world of antiques accessible to everyone."

Cracking Antiques is a Silver River production. The executive producer at Silver River is Dan Adamson and the series producer at Silver River is Donna McLaughlin.

The 6x30-minute series will be broadcast on BBC Two, from 7th April at 8.30pm.

Image of Mark Hill & Kathryn Rayward courtesy of the BBC and Silver River Productions, and text courtesy of BBC Press Office, the original is here.

A comprehensive book will be published to tie-in with the series, priced at £18.99, click here to find out more. Image of cover courtesy of Mitchell Beazley.

Beware Online!

It's easy to think that you can trust what you find online. However, always bear in mind that the information you read there may well be misleading, or just plain wrong. Never has the familiar auction term 'caveat emptor', or 'buyer beware', been more applicable.
The internet is open to everyone to post information - and also their opinions and beliefs, regardless of what they're founded on. It goes without saying that some people are more knowledgeable and reliable than others.
As an example, I spotted this vase on eBay last night. Described by the seller as being Murano glass, it has a 1960-70s foil label on the base to prove it. But that's wrong. It is, in fact, a 1980s Isle of Wight Studio Glass Azurene range small Lollipop vase, in the hard-to-find 'Azure' colour. As to how the Murano label got there is anyone's guess.
I'm certainly not saying that the vendor (who has thousands of positive feedback ratings) intends to mislead or deceive but it's not what it the label says it is! The interesting thing is that if it was catalogued correctly, the seller would almost certainly sell it, even if he didn't quite reach his £150 + P&P asking price.

Priceless Antiques Roadshow

The second series of Priceless Antiques Roadshow, the BBC's fantastic spin-off show from world-famous Antiques Roadshow reached its fifth episode this evening, with another twenty to come. Perfect tea-time viewing, the show looks deeper into the Roadshow, one of Britain's best-loved TV programmes, and with a 32 year heritage.
You'll learn more about the experts and their personal passions and favourite fields of expertise, glimpse behind the scenes at Roadshows across the country, take a look back through the archives at some of the best and most fascinating finds and the stories behind them, and also see special features unique to the series.
I was lucky enough to be asked to take part in one of these, and one of the spots we filmed aired this evening. 'Expert Eye' takes three specialists, Katherine Higgins, Steven Moore and I, and pits us against each other to buy an antique or a collectable from three different subject areas against a set, and realistic, budget. First up tonight was ceramics, with each of us being given the task of finding something we believed to be a good, bargain buy for a maximum of £30. I visited the Shepton Mallet Flea Market, Katherine went to Alfie's Antiques Market, and Steven was at the Lincolnshire Antiques & Home Show. Tune into iPlayer to find out what each of us bought and how how we got on.
The two remaining 'Expert Eye' spots yet to come cover furniture, and whatever we individually believed to be 'useful'. I'm delighted to say that I came in well under budget for all of my finds, each of which I'd have been more than happy to buy myself and display or use at home. After you've seen it, I hope you'll agree with us - it all goes to show that there really are so many fantastic bargains out there if you look.

Vibrant Venini Glass

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 prominent designers, the best designs, and learn tips on how to identify and date Venini glass. If you're inspired to buy after reading it, then I can certainly recommend visiting the excellent Cambridge Glass Fair on 28th February.
Elsewhere in this bumper issue, you'll find Judith Miller's regular 'Object Lesson', this time on upholstered chairs, a fascinating article on antique textile restoration with the lovely Penny Brittain, the usual insider tips and valuations from the Antiques Roadshow team, and plenty to inspire you to have a super 'Spring clean' in a few week's time!

Vintage Filofax & Mulberry

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 passed. It's a shame, as they were very practical, acting as catch-all during a week's busy work. Although relegated to a drawer, mine is still perfectly useable. I wonder if they will become collectable in the future, representing, as they do, the fashions of a decade?
If they do, I am sure that brand names, condition and the quality will count towards desirability and value, much as they do for any antique or collectable. Filofax is at the top - like Hoover, the brand came to represent an object. There's a blog for Filofax fans, and you can see someone's amazing private collection here. The 'Winchester' seems to be the one to look out for.
Apart from Filofax itself, I think the big name to watch is Mulberry. Founded in 1971, the company has recently become globally renowned for its handbags, but the company's luxuriously large 'Planners' trounced Filofax, in my opinion, for years. I can see their hallmark brown or black 'Congo' mock-croc leather (shown here in brown) becoming amongst the most sought-after. Costing up to £350 new today, vintage and pre-loved examples are already fetching healthy sums on eBay - is this perhaps the start of something bigger?
Mulberry has always found inspiration in leather bags of the past, and it's perhaps this that makes their products so timeless and of such high quality. When I was a Junior Cataloguer at Bonhams in Chelsea, I would often see founder Roger Saul examining and buying antique luggage at our vintage textile auctions.

Miller's Collectables Price Guide 2010-11

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 the new 'season' in Spring. As fairs, auctions and flea markets crank up a few gears at this time, it seemed more sensible and right.
So, the answer is that the all-new 2010-2011 edition will be published on March 1st - the rather handsome cover is shown here. The price will be £19.99 and it will be available to pre-order from all good bookshops or from Miller's Online in late February.

Abstract Soviet-style vase

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 of thing produced in Soviet Russia during the 1920s & 30s, upon closer inspection the quality and style of decoration didn't quite match up.
Perhaps it was some commercially oriented 'rip-off', produced in a factory in another Eastern bloc country like Poland any time from the 60s onwards? Or maybe it was the work of some small ceramics company somewhere, made in the past couple of decades by someone who was inspired by a book on Soviet ceramics?
The mark on the base, a basic dash of the brush, meant nothing and was almost applied so that it was at least 'marked'. Having never seen one before, and as I rather liked its colourful abstract design that is somewhat reminiscent of a cityscape, I bought it. Later, I showed it to a friend, who is an experienced dealer in ceramics. Recalling one she thought she'd seen in someone's collection some years back, she agreed and also rather liked it. Another colleague agreed it was postwar, but hadn't seen one either.
Or maybe it was brand spanking new - it was most certainly an option, much as I'd prefer to ignore the signs. And new is most probably what it is - two esteemed colleagues spotted two pieces with an identical pattern on a stand at another flea market this weekend. Although it doesn't confirm they were made in China yesterday, that pretty much gives it away!
Whilst it's not a reproduction, or a fake, of a Soviet Constructivist piece, it is attempting the style. I'd spent the previous couple of months doing nearly every major fair in the country, and visit plenty of junk, retro and vintage shops every week - I hadn't spotted one before, so they must be pretty fresh to the market. My friend must have been mistaken. Still - if you like it, as I do, there's no reason not to buy one at the right price!

It doesn't look like Whitefriars to me...

...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 piece of Orrefors or something, £10 didn't seem bad at all. There was something about the colour though, I could swear it was Whitefriars.
After handing over my crisp tenner, I drove home mulling it over. Did I really need another vase, especially one that I only 'quite' liked? Also, I don't collect Whitefriars anyway, even if I am right about the colour and the characteristic nicely polished concave pontil mark.
Books are an invaluable thing. Within seconds of flipping through Lesley Jackson's excellent tome, I found it. I was right. It doesn't look much, especially if you prefer something more jazzy and colourful. Designed in 1957 by Geoffrey Baxter, it represents both the popularity of Scandinavian glass at the time, and the influence that this glass had on his designs. No doubt Baxter thought that if people wanted fashionable Scandinavian glass, why not produce a British version that was inspired by it? He wasn't alone, both Frank Thrower at Dartington Glass and Ronald Stennett-Willson at King's Lynn Glass were thinking along the same lines. Even the austere 'Ocean Green' colour echoes Scandinavian designs. First appearing in the landmark 1957 catalogue, and made until 1962, it's not a common shape. By courtesy of the excellent Whitefriars.com, you can see the shape as appeared in the 1957 catalogue (above), together with its model number, 9491, and it's height, below. I must remember to trust my instincts more often. Given this attribution, and the popularity of Whitefriars, I'd see it fetching over £70 if it sold to the right person.

Fat Lava at Bygone Times

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 centre is best for vintage, retro and antique ceramics, glass and homewares, although you'll find a fair few bits of furniture to tempt as well.
What a surprise to find, on this visit, a new (to me, anyway) stand literally filled with fabulous Fat Lava! I was lucky enough to be able to meet the owner, Stuart, who is a real fount of knowledge and a true enthusiast. Prices are very competitive, especially when you consider postage and packing costs when buying online. As well as offering a huge selection of standard sized vases by makers including Ceramano, Carstens, Scheurich, Bay and Ruscha, there's a great selection of whopping floor vases that are becoming harder to find undamaged condition today.
I couldn't help but buy a few (well, seven) pieces to add to my collection, which I am delighted with. If you visit Bygone Times, even if Fat Lava isn't your thing, I challenge you to leave empty handed!

Fantastic new must-have book

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 weighty tome, some three decades in the making, is an undoubted masterwork. Chapters cover tableware from Deco to Modern, cut and engraved glass from Stourbridge, the vibrant studio glass movement that began in the 1960s, 'modern designer greats' such as Ronald Stennett-Willson, Frank Thrower, Keith Murray, and much, much more. The coverage is breathtaking, and the detail awe-inspiring. Pieces by every factory or designer covered are illustrated with full colour, specially shot photographs, accompanied in many cases by original catalogue pages or photographs. A treu treasure trove of information.
As I leafed through it whilst talking to Charles, my feelings were mixed. I felt envy, admiration and wonder. This is a book to be picked up and read again and again - there'll always be something new to learn. There's no doubt that this will become the essential standard reference work for 20th century British glass for decades to come.

Brilliant Bushwood Antiques

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, and priced from as little as £200 to over £20,000! There truly is something here for everyone from chairs to bookcases, bureaux and sideboards.

The reason for this post is that I believe Bushwood to be one of the best dealers in Britain for sourcing antique furniture gems. With over 30 years of experience, owner Tony Bush and his staff make you feel welcome and offer friendly and practical advice making it an ideal destination to buy, whatever your level of experience. So-called 'brown' Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian furniture is really making a comeback today and, although prices are beginning to rise, they're still highly affordable - especially when compared to something you might buy on the high street or in a retail park. You'll get something unique, individual and indicative of the high quality of hand craftsmanship you just don't see today. What's more, the money you 'invest' is certainly safer in a piece of antique furniture than it is a modern piece of MDF or chipboard.

Mumbai Oasis

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 noted that it was numbered 36 from an apparent edition of 500, and bore the inscribed range name of 'Mumbai Oasis'.
Any piece of Isle of Wight Studio Glass inscribed with such numbering identifies it as having come from the batch ordered by an American department store in around 1986. Each was inscribed with a number under 500, giving the impression of a limited edition. In fact, this means that it was one of 500 pieces ordered - and the batch included all manner of different shapes and sizes from many different ranges produced at the time. Expensive Fish vases were very much in the minority, with only a few being included. Each piece was also inscribed 'England', to comply with export laws.
As to the unusual 'range name' - that's easy! All these pieces were also signed by Michael Harris. Read quickly, his scrolling signature can look like 'Mumbai Oasis' to the uninitiated. Those in the know know that his signature adds a hefty premium to a piece, as he so very rarely signed his work. At this time, Michael was the only person with enough skill to make Fish vases, backing up the fact that this was certainly made by him. Interestingly, he only used gold leaf on this piece, presumably as it made more contrasting visual impact than silver leaf. Add to this the fact that it's a large example (9.5in/25cm high), and it's in the beautiful deep Azurene Blue that was only produced during Michael's lifetime in that form from 1985-87, and you have a VERY rare piece indeed.
But that hardly matters. The Fish vase is undoubtedly Michael's most iconic shape, and this treasure is truly stunning to look at - it's a great piece the owner should enjoy for many years to come.

Bargaining in Beijing

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 or near the centre of the city, this is more authentic and apparently many centrally based dealers buy here.
The market compound is divided into two main sections, wide alleyways lined with permanent shops, and a truly vast open sided barn where sellers spread out rugs or blankets to display their wares for sale. I'm told that many are peasants who make their way into town after buying in the provinces, but I think most are really canny professionals.
By the time our taxi pulled up mid-morning, only a fifth of the space was still occupied - trade seemingly starts and tails off very early, and Saturday and Sunday are the best and busiest days. But there were still over 200 'stalls', so the hunt was on. I had a good look round first to see what items were repeated across stands - obviously these would be factory produced contemporary pieces. Almost dizzy from the enormous selection, I spotted an appealing blue and white ceramic bottle vase at one stand, and a bright, three-coloured 'Peking glass' vase at another. Although I also wanted some bronze and jade, the quality of these looked either too poor or too obviously 'old'. Plus I also collect glass, and I've always liked blue & white porcelain and been interested in the marks on the bases.
Bartering is obligatory here. The problem is that, as this isn't really on the main tourist trail despite the dual language signage, nobody speaks English! The universal languages of gesticulation and facial expressions come into play, along with a calculator to indicate the price.
The blue and white vase (18cm/7in high) was up first and the seller stabbed 1,200 yuan (£110/$175) into the calculator. I countered with a cheeky 120 yuan (£12/$18). In a second's time I was given the calculator again and the new price was 900 yuan. I typed 120 yuan again. Huffing and puffing ensued and led to an offer of 600 yuan. Holding my position, I firmly retyped 120 yuan, accompanying it with a grim expression. He took the calculator back and turned his back on me with a theatrical shrug. I began to walk away. He grabbed my arm gently and thrust the calculator back in my face. The screen read 150 yuan. I smiled and took out a 100 yuan note from my back pocket and rustled a 20 yuan note out of my wallet which I had previously prepared to only contain small notes. He turned away, and I began to walk away again. This time he shouted and grabbed my arm, nodding to accept the cash. Within seconds the vase was wrapped in torn newspaper and in a plastic bag and I had handed over my cash. I guess it's sometimes good to go late in the day, even though it was early for me!
Onto the glass vase (15cm/6in high), which was one of only two I saw in the whole place. After I pointed it out, the lady seller proudly shouted out 'Older!' with a grin. The calculator price was 1,800 yuan (£160/$260). Fired by my last bargain, I typed 100 yuan (£9/$15) in and unsurprisingly nearly blew the deal! After I smiled to show the game had opened, the calculator was returned with a 1,500 yuan price tag. I pushed my luck and went to 120 yuan. The next price was 920. I began to turn away and the immediate next price was 600. I tried 120 again, but was met with a serious 'NO!' type of expression. Clearly it was time for me to move again, so I typed 150 yuan. The deal was back on track. The price dropped again to 450 yuan, as she pointed out the birds and flowers on the vase and reiterated the 'Older!' exclamation. I shrugged and looked bored and the price became 300 yuan. I immediately countered with 180 yuan (£17/$26) and ran my hand firmly across my neck to show this was my final price. She barked at her colleague and within seconds the vase was wrapped in scrumpled newspaper and in a bag as she looked theatrically distraught, shaking her head. We shook hands, and vase, cash and smiles were exchanged. Wow - an intense and rapid experience again!
We then took a calming walk around the rest of the mini-streets inside the market compound, looking into the many shops that stocked everything from Ming dynasty style furniture to yet more ceramics, bronzes and jades. Prices seemed higher, but shop owners were very keen to get bartering going by proffering calculators and motioning at pieces that I had looked at. Everyone has something to sell, and they're admirably not shy about trying to sell it to you, showing the country's centuries' long experience in trading. A tip though - as with any bartering, always be polite, respectful, cheerful, gentle and show good intentions. Rudeness will get you nowhere.
By midday, the market appeared to be slowing down. A few other Westerners had arrived by taxi and browsed around. Many seemed taken by the bright, jaunty colours of the more modern pieces on offer, but a shop selling (surprisingly) apparently original gramophones, cameras and Bakelite radios also attracted plenty of attention.
As the market is somewhat out of the way, hailing a taxi back to the centre (25mins) was more of a trial than bartering. Many guide books, such as our excellent and thoroughly trustworthy Moon guide, recommend booking a car for the return trip and this seems like good advice. As we sped away to the sound of Chinese pop blaring from the radio, I though about showing my new purchases to a couple of colleagues on the Antiques Roadshow.
Although I have no doubt that they are modern reproductions from the £27 ($43) total price and suspicious presence of mud on the bodies, I want to know exactly how an expert can tell, and what the marks on the bottoms (one shown above) mean. I also wonder how old they actually are? I'll let you know when I find out. Still, none of this matters to me - both are pieces that I like, and they make affordable souvenirs of a highly memorable experience.

Bye Bye Atlantique City

Billed as 'the world's largest indoor antiques show', the wonderfully named Atlantique City, held twice a year in Atlantic City, New Jersey has been cancelled by owner F+W Media. I'm sure I'm amongst many thousands of dealers, collectors and auctioneers who are extremely sad to hear this. In compiling the DK Judith Miller Collectables Price Guides, I spent a number of years visiting the show in Spring and Autumn, which never failed to leave me inspired and in awe - and my bank account drained.
Although I haven't been for a few years now, it was also the place I met many people who I am now lucky to count as colleagues, including watch expert Mark Laino of Mark of Time, Barbara Blau of the South St Antiques Market, Sharon & Joe Happle of Sign of the Tymes, marble and glass experts Bob & Mark Block, costume jewellery supremos Roxanne Stuart and Bonny Yankauer, Barbara Lauver and Dotty Ayers of The Calico Teddy, and Esther Harris of Vintage Eyewear of New York City. I also encountered many other great experts and characters, including a US Senator!
The Miller's team are also grateful to Ted and Diane, the organisers who managed the mega-show for many years until 2005, for allowing us to go the first time. With over 2,000 dealers from across the US and visitor numbers running into the tens of thousands, it really was a major event up there with the New York Pier Shows and Brimfield. Here are a few images of an avenue in the fair itself, the Judith Miller book stand in 2006, and Judith, photographer Graham Rae, and I outside a restaurant inside one of the massive casinos.

Holidays in China

Looking at the pictures here, I'm giving you no guesses about where I spent my Summer holidays this year! Carefully saved air miles were cashed in, and at the end of August the banker and I went on a two week trip across China, a place neither of us had been to before. Although I did take some time off and away from work, I just can't tear myself away completely. As a result I was able to check out some of the best destinations for hunting for antiques and collectables in the four cities we visited.
I say antiques, but they weren't my target. Compared to the West, there are fewer authentic antiques in China due to the Cultural Revolution, and the enormous level of export of goods across the centuries. It's also illegal to export antiques made before 1795, and authentic pieces made after that date until the early 20thC need to be examined by government experts, have a red seal applied, and be officially cleared for export. But there's another concern for me with Chinese, or any Asian, antiques or works of art. Although I've been interested, I've never had to time to learn in depth about this incredibly deep and complex subject. So it's possible that, in China, I might not know what I was looking at, or whether I was paying the right price.
China has had a long history of reproducing historic designs and styles, partly out of respect for the people that made them, and partly for the obvious commercial reasons. Would I know if I was buying a modern reproduction, or even one made a century ago in respectful imitation of an Ancient design? Time will tell...
So I decided that my self-set task was to find the best modern and exportable reproduction or fake that I could. The trip was expensive, so I set myself a limit of no more than £50 per piece, and my budget only allowed me to buy a couple of pieces...

Read Experts' Secret Bargain Sources!

This month's BBC Homes & Antiques magazine is even more than packed than ever with inspirational and practical information about collecting and living with antiques and collectables. In this month's issue, insiders reveal their 'trade secret' favourite hunting grounds, be they antiques centres, specialists, auctions or junk shops. I was delighted to be asked to contribute, so buy your copy now to find out where I go to find bargains... You'll also be able to read about the favourite personal possessions of a number of Antiques Roadshow experts, a fascinating article from Roadshow colleague Marc Allum on vintage biscuit tins, and much, much more!

The state of the market

My co-author, colleague and friend Judith Miller was recently interviewed by the prestigious Times newspaper on the state of the antiques market today. Contemporary up and traditional down? Read her opinion, and the opinions of other experts in their fields, by clicking here.