Marc My Words

Above e trade has to embrace everything, even My Little Pony, image Shutterstock

Right e antiques trade is changing, as the sale of a giant Rubik’s Cube artwork on e Greatest Auction proves, image courtesy of Channel 4 an acceptable part of the market as the traditional ‘antique’ genres the demise of which ismuch bemoaned. Pop and lm memorabilia are a case in point.

No more ‘antiques’?

This is where the burden ofthe word ‘antique’ comes into play. In recent years, I’ve found that people like me are regularly admonished for manipulating its meaning, with those on social media and armchair critics all keen to shout loudest.

Oddly, I got none of this when my career was evolving. No one batted an eyelid over the popularity of art deco which was only 50 or 60 years old at thetime.

So is‘antique’ a wordthat we should drop from the titles of out television shows,magazines and hallowed publications? I think not. How about we all embrace the wonderful and ever-evolvingvariety of objectsthat fuel our rich and culturally varied world and letpeople –without criticism – enjoy what they collect. I certainlydo.

Marc Allum isan author, lecturerand specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, for more details go to www.marcallum.co.uk

Itake pride in being known as an antiques generalist. It’s a title that allows me to operate with a broad brush, often serving as the rst port of call on a long and involved journey to sort out highly eclectic estates for auction or insurance valuations. I even use the bene t ofthat knowledge to further my own varied interests as a collector across a wide range of disciplines.

So this week, as usual, I have been working across a range of disciplines. Starting with a collection of 18th-century miniatures, then cataloguing stamps and coins, while adding a Tang-dynasty model tomb granary to my already overloaded personal collection of ancient artefacts. I also spent a day sorting out a wonderful collection of 18th and 19th century intaglio fob seals. ere wasn’t any of those areas that I didn’t delight in, or nd interesting.

My Little Pony

Indeed, it’s that thirst for knowledge that constantly enables me to adapt andmove forward ina world of changing markets and new elds of collectability. I have always shown a tolerable appreciation ofother people’s likes and dislikes – re ecting these cultural changes allows me to be good at my job.

For instance, I’m not a fan of collectables such as My Little Pony but if there’s a collector’s market for them and people enjoy seeking them out, then why not? My remit over theyears, has been to tap into some of those changing markets, which can eventually become as much