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Around 50 lots of French porcelain from the collection formed by Nadia Ortiz Patino of the famous collecting family are to be offered in a June 6 sale at Drouot, to be held by Thierry de Maigret under the expertise of Hervé de la Verrie.

Called to look at some toy trains in the home of a lady who had recently died at a great age, Special Auction Services (17.5% buyer’s premium) specialist Hugo Marsh was surprised to be shown two early and rare Bing items. They had been collected by the lady’s first husband and stored away since he was killed in the Second World War.

Once again it was Harry Houdini who topped the bill in the most recent magic memorabilia auction held by US specialist Potter & Potter Auctions (20% buyer’s premium).

The second annual clock and watch fair to be held at Upton Hall, HQ of the British Horological Institute, will run on Sunday, June 3.

Barbara Jones joins a growing band whose peacetime work is also now in strong demand.

A 1731, first printed edition of Wycliffe’s 14th century English version of the New Testament was bid to a record £10,000 against an estimate of £200-300 in a recent Nottingham auction.

A rare James II ‘gunmoney’ half-crown sold for €10,500 (£8850) at Whyte’s sale titled the Eclectic Collector in Dublin.

Three extra French auctioneers are to assist in the mammoth disposal of the Aristophil collections of historic manuscripts.

The Auctioneers and Valuers Association (AVAA), a trade body representing Australian auction houses, has called for client accounts to become a compulsory legal requirement in the country.

'Antiques for Everyone' held in Birmingham’s NEC is targeting new and returning exhibitors with a two-day weekend option.

The epic white-glove sale of the David and Peggy Rockefeller collection at Christie’s New York has established a new high for a single-owner auction.

Bid to €60,000 (£53,100) in a March 16 sale held by Venator & Hanstein (23% buyer’s premium) was a group of letters sent by Charles Darwin in the 1860s and ‘70s to a German botanist, Friedrich Hildebrand.

Boasting a new name and venue, the ABA’s annual book fair seems poised to expand its reach to a wider range of clients while retaining its strong exhibitor base.

Buildings constructed out of straw bales sound more like the world of Channel 4’s Grand Designs rather than the often solidly traditional realm of art and antiques auctioneers.

Dealer Anthony Bucke has been in the trade for 35 years and opened an antiques centre in the Somerset town of Crewkerne in 2012.

“We’ve had two-day antiques and collectors’ fairs at the Newbury Showground before but not on a Saturday and Sunday – the weather was downright miserable but we had a really successful first weekend,“ said IACF’s Grant Nicholas, talking about the recent weekend event on April 28-29.

Suffolk auction house Bishop & Miller is holding its first-ever specialist Oriental Art and Antiques Sale on May 24.

A speciality for collectors of silver wine labels are the enamelled examples produced in Battersea in the 18th century.

Australian enthusiasts did much to buoy up the Royal Doulton market in its 1990s pomp. And one such fan certainly did his bit to bring some life to what can now be a weak market by consigning a choice collection of Lambeth, flambé, Burslem and prototype wares to Kingham & Orme (20% buyer’s premium).

The coming weeks will offer some special, if sometimes very costly, opportunities for bird lovers.