Vintage view: Auctions

MAKE a day of it at an auction.

The start and the end of an antique or general auction often features sleeper items to oil those bidding hands early on and to tickle interest to the end. However, by the final lots, many dealers will have full vans and empty wallets. Stick around.

1. Larking at the fair. Dealers are larks, rising early to set up for boot sales and fairs. Get there before the crowds when the retailers are looking through each other’s goods to net those best buys. A 4am start is standard practice for serious street markets in the UK and Europe, such as Bermondsey in London.