Our Experts

"We want to make art & antiques expertise as easy and approachable as possible, for the widest possible audience"

The founder of the company, Patrick van der Vorst, was a Director and Head of Department at Sotheby's London for over 12 years. His passion and enthusiasm for making the art-identifying and valuing process as approachable as possible, has driven him to create this easy-to-use website, launched in September 2009.

Often the art market can be perceived as not being very approachable, or the process of trying to get your item valued can be quite time consuming and complex. All of our experts are based in England and have worked for Sotheby's, Christie's or other leading auction houses, and now offer their knowledge, covering over 28 collecting fields, in order to make the art valuing and appraisal process as straightforward and accessible as possible for you.

As we don't buy or sell any items, our approach is completely independent and unbiased!

We have over twenty expert antique valuers

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Ceramics

After having worked for Phillips for many years, our Ceramics expert joined Sotheby’s where he valued ceramics and glass from numerous famous collections and country houses. Active in London and in the regions, he is still involved in major valuations in England and on the continent. His passion for the ceramics subject has made him one of the most knowledgeable and focused experts within this field.

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Furniture

We have two dedicated specialists within this field of expertise. Our English Furniture Expert worked for Sotheby’s for over 30 years, cataloguing furniture sales in Sussex and putting together important house sales and sales of special individual collections. He became a director and specialised in Oak Furniture. Our Continental Furniture Specialist also used to work at Sotheby’s where, as a Director of the company, he ran the Department until Summer of 2009, focusing mainly on French and Italian 18th century furniture.

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Sports Memorabilia

Our Sports memorabilia expert worked for Christie’s in their sporting department as tennis specialist for 13 years. He is a racket and equipment specialist at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum (Honorary) and runs a company in the sports industry which was formed in 1928 and has been involved in all racket sports, golf equipment, football etc. He has worked in the industry for over 40 years.

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Paintings

We have two dedicated specialists within this field of expertise. Our British Paintings specialist has worked in the auction business for 17 years, joining Sotheby's saleroom in Billingshurst in 1992. After leaving Sotheby's at the end of 2001, he has worked as a freelance valuer and auctioneer. Working part time at Arundel Castle in West Sussex, his passion and fascination for mainly British Paintings, has made him one of the authorities within this field. Our Old Master Paintings expert has worked for Sotheby’s too. His specialisation in Italian Renaissance and Flemish Baroque paintings has driven him to be involved in appraising some of the main Old Master collections around the globe.

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Oriental Art

Our Chinese Art specialist has worked for some of the major auction houses in London, where in the last few years they have witnessed a resurgence and boom within this market, where very strong and record-breaking prices have been achieved. The current strong market for Chinese Art with especially dedicated Oriental antique events in London such as Asia Week, has seen this area of collecting evolve dramatically. Our expert has been at the forefront of these groundbreaking events and times.

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Sculpture

Our Works of Art and Sculpture specialists have combined experience of over 80 years within the auction business. With one expert specialising in Mediaeval sculpture, another in Renaissance works of art and a third expert focusing on 19th century sculpture, they offer an unrivalled depth of expertise. With unprecedented record breaking auction results for top quality items, the sculpture market is a vibrant one, where many new buyers have stepped in assembling unique collections.

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Silver

We have two dedicated specialists within this field of expertise. Our first expert has over twenty year’s experience in the business, starting as a specialist at Sotheby’s Bond Street silver department. After a two year stint on the West Coast of America, he returned to Sotheby’s in 1996 to become a Deputy Director, specialising in silver and objects of vertu. Our other expert has worked at Sotheby’s too, he joined in 1978 and has worked there for over 25 years, where he has built up unrivalled expertise in British and Irish silver. Combined, they make our Silver appraisal team one of the strongest in the business.

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Pop & Film Memorabilia

Our Pop Memorabilia expert has had numerous years of experience within the fascinating auction world of pop memorabilia expertise, meeting many pop and film stars on his journey. This area of collecting has dramatically increased in the last few years with new strong buyers coming to the market. Thus pop memorabilia feeds off a continuing progression of nostalgia as each generation rediscovers the fading soundtrack of its adolescence.

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20th Century Design

Our expert has worked for a leading auction house in London where she has ran sales for this highly collectable field, which has seen a major upturn in the last 10 years. With the advent of a young generation of designers in the decorative arts from the 1960's onwards, this trend to focus on visual communication and presentation in the decorative arts has led to some of the most striking results in furniture, ceramic and glass making.

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Toys & Dolls

Our expert worked for Sotheby’s, in Sussex for 25 years where she catalogued and valued dolls, teddy bears and other childhood memorabilia. Passionate about her field of expertise, she has seen the market change over the last 30 years, where dolls and toys have become increasingly collectible by the widest possible variety of audience ranging from 1900’s Steiff teddy bears to the more recent Star Wars memorabilia.

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Coins

Our coins expert has had an interest in this subject since childhood and from 1990 to 2005 worked as auctioneer and cataloguer for two of London's main numismatic auctioneers (Glendining's and Baldwin's). With his main speciality in commemorative coins, he has a deep knowledge of his subject and market and will be able to advise you on the value of your coins.

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Arms, Armour & Militaria

We have two experts in this field. Our expert in Arms, Armour and Militaria was formerly Head of Sotheby's Worldwide Department of Arms, Armour and Militaria and assisted Sotheby's with sales in London, New York, Denmark, Zurich, Billingshurst and Hanover. The sale of works of art from the Royal House of Hanover included arms and armour which sold for £4,764,004 ($8,392,610) which continues to stand as a World Auction Record for an ancestral collection in this field. Now running his own business, he is an authority in the military collecting field. We also have a specialist in 20th century, mainly World War I and II, militaria which have become increasingly more collectable in recent years.

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Medals

Our medal specialist commenced his career as a member of the Coin & Medal Department at Sotheby’s in 1980, cataloguing British & foreign orders, decorations & medals - a date that now makes him the longest-served auction specialist in this field. He was appointed an auctioneer in 1987, and later became head of a newly created department for medals & militaria. Reverting to a consultancy role in 1992, he moved to another well-known company in 1997 and thence to Dix Noonan Webb, in Mayfair, London, in 2002, an independent auction company that has achieved highest annual turnover in this field ever since 2000.

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Jewellery

The jewellery auction market is a rather fluctuating one, and even though very strong sales can be achieved, it is one where deep knowledge is required to be able to tell what sells and doesn’t. Apart from the intricate market value of the diamonds and gold, the design and saleability is dependent on fashion and trendiness. Our Jewellery expert has worked for over 15 years at Sotheby’s London and will be able to give you the best advice and valuation of your items.

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Carpets & Rugs

Our Carpet expert has worked for Sotheby’s and has substantial knowledge in his specialist field. Having travelled to many of the traditional carpet weaving countries in the Middle East, his understanding of the local cultures and influences which contributed to the exquisite carpet designs, is unrivalled. During his many years as an auctioneer, he has build up a tremendous knowledge of this complex but highly fascinating collecting field.

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Clocks & Watches

Our specialist has over 30 years experience in this area of expertise. He started his career at Garrards, the Crown Jewellers, and then spent 20 years working in auction houses, both for Bonham’s and Sotheby’s. His experience in both the auction and retail worlds, has given him tremendous knowledge of the fascinating world of clock and watches.

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Classic Cars

Our Classic Car expert has had over 30 years experience in this subject. An avid collector himself of classic cars and coaches, he has followed this market for the past three decades, and seen quite strong fluctuations in prices achieved for vintage vehicles. His fascination for classic cars, engines and race paraphernalia is a tremendous asset when it comes to valuing and advising our clients on their vintage items within this field of expertise.

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Contemporary Art

The contemporary art market has seen a very strong steady increase in its prices, with a slight levelling off in the last 18 months. However, recent sales in February 2010, have seen a very solid and strong bounce-back, with their evening sale being the second most successful contemporary art auction ever to be held at Sotheby’s London. Our expert, who worked for Sotheby’s for over 13 years, has a deep knowledge of this market, whilst following closely all the major gallery shows and art fairs around the world such as Art Basel & Miami, Frieze London, Art Miami, The Armory Show New York, etc.

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Books

Our book expert has a life long interest in this fascinating area of expertise, starting at a young age with her father being an Antiquarian book and print dealer. With items ranging from 17th century leather bound books, to modern day publications such as Harry Potter first editions soft covers selling for over $19.000, this specialist field has evolved and seen an advent of new avid and powerful collectors, on the look out for these rare publications. Our specialist has unrivalled experience in providing valuations of rare books and has a wide knowledge of collectable books, including antique and contemporary works, fiction and non-fiction, children’s books and illustrated books.

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Glass

The market for old glass is fairly slow at the moment, mostly because the new generation of collectors hasn’t picked up on it yet. That makes it a great time to purchase antique glass items. Our expert within this field confirms that it is a market with huge opportunities for buyers, but also that the rare and good pieces still make some substantial prices. Our expert would be delighted to examine the photographs of your glass objects, whether antique or modern.

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Drawings

We have two dedicated specialists within this field of expertise: one for British drawings, the other specialising in Old Master drawings. Our British Drawings specialist has worked in the auction business for nearly two decades. Having worked for Sotheby’s, he is now working as a freelance valuer and auctioneer. Our Old Master Drawings expert has worked for Sotheby’s until 2009. With drawings ranging from rare Medieval Flemish drawings, to the Italian Renaissance and German Baroque, this field of expertise is one of the most exciting, revealing with each drawing the mind of the artist and the journey of creativity upon which he has embarked.

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Postcards

Our postcard expert has worked for one of the two leading auction houses in London for over 30 years and has unrivalled knowledge within this field of expertise with a total career of 46 years as a postcard valuer and auctioneer. With postcard collecting being one of the increasing collecting fields, this area of expertise provides a fascinating journey into the history of countries and their way of communicating and liaising throughout the ages through postcards.

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Tribal Art

Our tribal art expert has worked for a leading auction house both abroad and in London, where her focus was on traditional African and Oceanic art. She has an active interest in these specialised areas and regularly contributes articles on the art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas to a leading journal.

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Musical Instruments

With a Stradivarius violin selling for over $3.5 million and a 1957 Fender guitar selling for $50.000, the market for musical instruments is one where genuine surprises and astonishing results can be achieved. Our expert worked for Sotheby’s auctioneers before setting up his own independent consultancy business. His understanding of this complex but intriguing market is a tremendous asset to our website.

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Photography

This area of expertise deals with photography works by 19th and 20th century American and European photographers, as well as works by cutting-edge contemporary photographers. Some of the major photographers can achieve substantial prices, such as Edward Weston, whose 1936 Charis Santa Monica print sold for $109,800 at Bonhams and Andreas Gursky’s Dubai World II selling for £445,000 at Sotheby’s last year. Our expert has a deep knowledge of both classic photographic artists and of their contemporary counterparts.

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Prints

Our expert in antique and modern prints has worked for over 10 years at Sotheby's London before establishing himself as a freelance valuer. He covers prints ranging from early Durer and Rembrandt prints to more modern lithographs such as by Andy Warhol or Damien Hirst.

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Wine

Our Wine Expert has collected and consumed wine for over 40 years. After running the Wine Department in 1974 for Phillips Auctioneers, holding sales in London, Edinburgh and Geneva, he joined Sotheby's where he contributed to Wine sales and assessed numerous prestigious wine cellars throughout Europe, coming across some of the finest wines ever produced. Passionate and dedicated in his field, he is still a consultant for Sotheby's nowadays and enjoys a good glass of Claret!

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Scientific Instruments

Our specialist left Christie’s after twelve years' having set several world records for ship models and navigational instruments. Now an independent, he encompasses all aspects of the Scientific and Maritime spectrum and has achieved more world records since his departure in 2007, and has published articles on various collecting aspects of the subject.

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Tapestries & Textiles

We have two different specialists within this area of expertise. Our tapestry expert is from Flemish origin, the home and centre of tapestry making during the Middle Ages and Renaissance times. Having worked for Sotheby’s for over 13 years, his passion for the subject and knowledge of the markets is a tremendous asset for our website. Our textiles and vintage clothes expert has had a passion for this field for over 25 years and still works currently for an auction house where she further explores and deepens her knowledge of this complex but fascinating field.

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Stamps

Our stamp expert has worked for one of the two leading auction houses in London for over 30 years and has unrivalled knowledge within this field of expertise, his career spanning 46 years as a stamp valuer and auctioneer. With stamp collecting still being one of the world's top collecting fields, this area of expertise provides a fascinating journey into the history of countries and their way of posting, communicating and liaising throughout the ages.

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Other

We do split this category between numerous experts, depending on what the item is. All of our experts have worked for Sotheby's, Christie's or any other leading auction houses and would have a large portfolio of contacts they can call upon to make sure we give you the best possible service and most accurate valuation and identification of your object. We have value flags, buttons, old sewing machines and other unusual items. Surprisingly some of them are worth quite a lot of money!

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