The eye of the connoisseur

From topless staddle stones outperforming complete ones to two versions of the same desk selling on the same day 212 miles apart, bizarre occurrences are par for the course at contents sales

Armigers from the Tudor and Stuart era had their moment last month, with a seal ring linked to Royal Exchange founder Sir Thomas Gresham and a ruffler once owned by philanthropist Sir Edwin Rich causing a stir at auction

The forthcoming Treasure House Fair lives up to its name, with pieces on offer including a flag flown by HMS Royal Sovereign at Trafalgar, a games compendium box made for Edward VII and a fairground carousel pig

PAINTING NOSTALGIA Artist Polly Mabel Nicolaou creates ...

Online galleries have transformed how we discover and collect pieces – these platforms offer a curated selection that’s just a click away

Canny collectors should swoop in when an artist falls out of fashion–but always pay attention to quality, because even the greatest names, such as Picasso, made the odd pot-boiler