Uncovering rare finds, securing bargains and making new friends are part of the thrill of an antiques buying trip …
Geoff Kirk, Kirkmodern
Geoff says that going on an antiques buying trip can be exciting – for the thrill of the hunt, or “antiquing” as they call it in the US – but you need to decide if it’s a sport or a career. “Hunting for sport will mean a nice hotel close to the show, a leisurely breakfast and the joy of walking around for hours in the hope of finding the special piece that the dealer has undervalued in price and aesthetic merit. Hunting as a career will mean getting up around 3am, queuing in the dark to get in with the ‘trade’ in the hope of finding lots of pieces with enough wriggle-room to eek out a profit.
Unlike Ireland, where we don’t have regular city antiques markets or collective antique centres, in the UK nearly every town and many villages have at least one antiques centre, while regular fairs of varying sizes are held all over the county. The bigger general antique fairs are run by IACF, the main ones being Newark near Lincoln and Ardingly, West Sussex. With over 1,000 dealers trading, general fairs can be a little daunting. As an enthusiast, it’s often better to choose a particular area and visit a specialist fair locally. My passion is mid-century modern, which is still trending, but people are casting the net wider now; exploring designs from Holland, Italy and Hungary, where fantastic items from the 1950s and 1960s can be found. I once found a Stig Lindberg Swedish vase from the 1950s on a £1 clearance table at a UK fair – it’s now worth around €700-800!
I’m a regular visitor to Mid-century Modern in Dulwich (@midcentury_modern), London; Design Icons in Amsterdam and Brussels; or Forum Gothenburg, Sweden. Here, you’ll find a smaller number of dealers who will have done a lot of the heavy-lifting by spending days and weeks searching their area, bringing together their own curated collection of pieces for sale. This will also help train your eye for what to look for when you visit a general fair. Nearly all fairs will have shippers and most will want to fill containers, but across Europe Magic Movers will ship single items with a door-to-door service. They have stands at most big fairs to help you figure out the logistics.
My advice is to choose a destination first, somewhere you’d like to go, then search for fairs and markets. A personal favourite place to stay is the dreamy Les Quatre Siècles, Hercé in France. You’ll need a car, but it’s a good central location for visiting local brocantes. Enjoy the trip, talk to the dealers (they’re always happy to share knowledge) and always keep an open mind about finding a gem in an unexpected location.” @kirkmodern
Domhnall Ó Garbhaí, Acquired.ie
“In my work for Acquired and also in my role with Róisín Lafferty Gallery, I source rare and beautiful pieces all over Europe, and also internationally from the US and Brazil. Auctions, antique fairs, other dealers and private sales all make up the core of what I do when it comes to purchasing and sourcing for both businesses. Over the years, I’ve built up a vast network of friends, dealers and what I call scouts who alert me to desirable and special pieces.
My favourite spot is Italy, where I have a small warehouse near Lake Garda that acts as my base and temporary storage facility. Transport can always be tricky, but I have a van in Italy and travel to every corner, searching and seeking out new mid-century delights. To make it financially viable, once I have 70-100 pieces ranging from sculpture to glass ware, furniture to lighting and artwork, I then organise shipment to Ireland to begin the next process, which usually is restoration and photography before getting them ready to sell.
For those seeking out a little buying trip or wanting an antiques adventure of their own, the flea market in Saint Ouen Paris is a must. It has an amazing variety and selection of antiques from all over the world. Shipping from here is very straight-forward, with most of the dealers offering it as part of the service, as I do myself here in Ireland.
In Italy, the Navigli market in Milan is a great day out with hundreds of stalls selling some great items. It’s held on the last Sunday of every month. Another vast and really vibrant market I recommend visiting is Fiera Arezzo, located about an hour from Florence. It’s jam-packed with antiques stalls that take over the entire town for a two day period.
Some research and homework before you plan a trip is always advisable. In my experience, a very simple trick is just to ask a shop owner or dealer in that area if they have any recommendations. A highlight of my career was unearthing and buying the most incredible ‘Brick Screen’ by our very own Eileen Gray in a stunning villa in Lake Como simply by asking for a recommendation from a local dealer!” @acquired.ie
Killian McNulty, Killian McNulty Gallery
“These days, I source most of my pieces online – it’s far simpler than globetrotting to markets and fairs. But whenever I holiday with my family, I’m irresistibly drawn to local shops and flea markets. Therein lies the conflict: I step in hoping to find nothing. Why? Because if I unearth treasures that won’t fit in my suitcase, I face daunting logistics – shipping headaches that range from seamless to maddening. Take the Girona area of northern Spain, a trip etched in memory. The town of Emporada boasted a sprawling multi-dealer antique warehouse, a charming single-owner shop … and then I spotted a sign on a crumbling building: “Antiques Phone for access”.
After several attempts to call with no luck, persistence paid off. Days later, I found the place open. The elderly owner gave me a tour, then drove me to his farm to explore another treasure trove. Amidst weathered furniture, I spotted a cast-iron dragon wine holder. Serendipity! Our hotel’s emblem? A dragon. “I have to buy this for the hotel!” I declared. Touched, he gifted the dragon to me. That evening at dinner, I presented it to the hotelier. When we requested the bill, our glasses of Cava arrived and no bill. “Your meal is compliments of the owner,” said our waiter. The dragon had conjured a feast.
A joyful end? Almost. All that remained: wrangling that van-load of antiques back to Dublin! My advice for anyone interested is to take a few minutes in the area you’re visiting to check out any local antique shops or markets, and hopefully you might find one or two things that fit in your case that will forever remind you of that trip.” @killianmcnultygallery
For those planning a French holiday this summer, Sharon Santoni’s new book The Art of Antiquing in France is an essential guide to local antiques markets. It includes a shopping guide to her favourite antique dealers across the country, from flea markets and antique shops to annual fairs, professional déballages and live auctions alongside a glossary of terms, a buyer’s guide to useful phrases and a detailed index. She also adds details on what to collect and how to style collections. @sharonsantoni
All imagery from Sharon Santoni.
