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Sotheby’s have announced that they are reviewing their financial strategy in a bid to create the optimum balance between future investment in the company and shareholder return.

Campaigners against changes in VAT that affect showground fairs met for the first time at a crisis summit in London. They now intend to form a trade federation to fight the changes.

A house clearance in Staffordshire yielded this highly decorative pair of late 18th or early 19th century narwhal tusk and gilt-metal lanterns for Louis Taylor’s latest sale in Stoke-on-Trent.

The organiser of a string of burglaries that targeted various auction houses claimed a Klotz violin taken from a saleroom and then discovered at his home had actually been found in a skip.

One of the most interesting things about auctions is how unusual objects from one side of the world come to be sold on the other, often with no apparent link.

Police made 20 arrests after a series of dawn raids linked to the investigation into the theft of Chinese artefacts and a rhino horn last year.

Whitehall officials overseeing CITES enforcement have removed guidelines from their website after conceding that they are confusing.

Christie’s have announced that from September 30 their main buyer’s premium structure will change to the following:

The London Borough of Croydon has chosen Christie’s as the auctioneers for its controversial sale of 24 Chinese works of art from its collection.

The Society of Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers held a seminar titled ‘CITES, What’s Going On?’ in London on September 2 attended by more than 40 members.

As so often happens, a spectacular price for a very rare object will bring another out of the woodwork.

Break-ins to target jewellery dealers are not exactly uncommon these days, sadly, but there can’t be many involving home-made boats built to make a getaway.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service has brought a series of prosecutions as part of Operation Crash, a nationwide crackdown on cross-border trafficking in rhinoceros horn works of art.

Three pieces of Victorian art from the Leverhulme collection will be offered at Sotheby’s in London later this year with a combined estimate of £9m-14m.

The competition for private sales among the leading auction rooms will step up during the coming weeks as both Sotheby’s and Christie’s hold exhibitions at their new private galleries in London.

Borro have introduced a concierge service to help make their asset-backed loans programme much easier and quicker to use for clients across the UK.

More than 2000 objects from a Dorset toy museum will come under the hammer in November.

The University of London is reported to have cancelled plans to auction off a rare set of four early Shakespeare folios to raise funds for further acquisitions.

An autographed letter signed from Charlotte Brontë doubled its estimate to make £24,000 at Lyon & Turnbull’s September 4 rare books, maps and manuscripts sale in Edinburgh.

With the Royal Academy opening a major show of Australian art in London on September 21, Christie’s will hope the added attention on this sector will yield benefit at their specialist sale being held in the Capital the week after.