Antiques Trade Talks – Don Bayney
Don Bayney Antiques deals in Japanese works of art and is located within Grays Antiques Centre in Central London. We catch up with Don to ask him his views on the trade.
What are the current hot sellers?
Japanese sword furniture from the Edo period (1760-1850)
What antiques do you have at home?
A few items, consisting of Japanese bronzes and porcelain
What piece would you love to sell in the auction room?
A samurai sword from the Kamakura period (13th century)
What has been your most exciting sale so far?
Finding a Middle Eastern sword (Persian) in San Francisco in 1995 and selling it in London for a handsome profit
Will people go to auction houses in 20 years or will sales all be online?
I reckon most auctions will be on the Internet and it’s the end of antique shops.
Tell us some trade secrets – what are you top tips for being at an auction?
The days of getting good deals are finished. Everything is on the internet, new technology has killed the business as we know it.
Will brown furniture make a comeback?
Not in my lifetime. It’s a pity; such beautiful furniture and no one wants it.
Where are you favourite antique hunting destinations?
In the 1970s and 1980s it used to be Bermondsey Market, Camden Passage and Portobello Road. The only one left is Portobello Road, and that has been destroyed by greedy council bureaucracy.
Young people don’t like antiques – agree or disagree?
The new generation is not interested in history or antiques
What’s the future for the trade?
London has always been at the centre of the global art market, since VAT was introduced by the EU, and also premiums by the auction houses this is bureaucracy gone mad, and this ‘greed’ will kill the trade.