“Bear in mind that at a fair like this, dealers are looking to cover their costs in the first day or two. Then they can relax. So, if you want to do a deal, you need to do it in the first two days.”
Richard Price, exhibitor at Winter Olympia, advising on finding a deal at a fair.
“They’ve just been stuck in a cupboard where no one can see them. Because my great uncle was the first black athlete to win Olympic medals for Great Britain, perhaps his collection deserves to be in a museum.”
Christine Downham who consigned the medals of Jack London to auction at Hansons. London was the first black British athlete to win an Olympic medal.
“This has been a very long and complex case but I am delighted that after 17 years, these ancient and precious items are finally being returned.”
DC Sophie Hayes from the Met’s Art and Antiques Unit, addressing the return of Buddha sculptures dating from the 4th-5th centuries that were smuggled out of Afghanistan nearly 20 years ago.
“We have been through worse things. We are all OK thankfully. I have the best staff - I couldn’t ask for better. It was like Blitz spirit. Jen our office manager climbed a fence and waded in at 1am on Sunday and the team were here shortly after. We had been thinking about getting new carpets recently and now we will have to!”
James Lewis, CEO of Bamfords, which had to close its Derby saleroom after flooding in the area.
“Any one of these individuals could easily command a dedicated exhibition in their own right”
Marcus Budgen, head of medals at Spink, which is staging an exhibition at its London saleroom.
