Anita Manning BBC bargain hunts most popular auctioneer

A recent poll carried out by this site has revealed that Anita Manning is by far the most popular antiques expert with viewers on BBC TV’s Bargain Hunt and Flog it.

This is a surprising result. The antiques experts are all generally popular and well liked so it was unexpected to see such an outright winner and by such a lengthy margin.

However, it is easy to see why! Anita Manning with her good-humoured warmth of character and a personality that literally leaps off the screen. Full of charm and wit, it seems that this irrepressible and stylish Scot has taken the TV public by storm.

So what is so special about Anita?

As a Bargain Hunt expert, she displays impeccable taste and seems to have a genuine desire to see her team win. Her good humour and obvious sense of fun make her seem like a truly nice person without being sickly or sentimental. Add this to her stylish taste, wealth of knowledge and enjoyment for the unusual and quirky object she sees the possibilities in the most bizarre or unassuming of objects.

As an auctioneer she is spell binding. Anita Manning transforms her auction room into real life theatre that makes her one of the best auctioneers to watch. She combines a persuasive and descriptive turn of phrase with extravagant gestures, sometimes standing up quickly when prices get particularly exciting, that brings a real buzz into the saleroom. Many other auctioneers can only envy this style.

What is not so usual about this result is that it seems that contrary to current BBC thinking. With the generally accepted BBC viewpoint that women over the age of 40 are not suitable for TV. Anita is another woman who has certainly bucked this trend.


Jackson's Hallmarks: English, Scottish, Irish Silver and Gold Marks from 1300 to the Present Day - Save £1.39 (20%) £5.56 from Amazon

This handy-sized guide is the most accurate and up to date on the market. and has been the bible for for scholars, dealers and collectors, selling in hundreds of thousands.

This edition contains complete cycles of silver marks for all the important Assay Offices, with variations shown for gold, platinum, Britannia Standard, import marks, etc, and has been updated to 1991 to include current assay marks.  See on Amazon UK

How to bid and win at a live auction

From Gold and Silver hallmarks

Unless you’re a dab hand at the bidding, auctions can be a little bit intimidating, but the process is a lot of fun and by following these simple tips you will bid successfully and still be smiling when the hammer falls.

Auction is like live theatre and the buyers are part of the action. It has two main stages.

First stage is the preview before the auction where prospective buyers can either visit the salerooms to examine the goods or in some cases view brief details of the items via the internet.

This is the time to ask questions and find out background information on the goods you may wish to bid on.

“Check your catalogue, decide your top price and more importantly stick to it!”
   
It's once you’ve decided to bid on an item that the hard part starts!

How to bid successfully at auctions.

If you’ve seen something you fancy that you want to bid for, what’s next? Go to the office, fill out a registration form and you get your own personal paddle number.

Now you’re ready to bid!
The next step is simply making sure that once you’ve seen something that has caught your eye, that you get the attention of the auctioneer – but how?

“Do you bid subtly, not drawing attention to yourself? Or do you use hand and eye gestures to make your bid? Do you get so excited that the auctioneer couldn’t possibly miss your bid?

"The answer is it doesn’t matter – just make sure the auctioneer can see you!”

More on How to bid at live auctions



How to Invest in Gold and Silver: A complete guide from an investor's viewpoint by ECKO House Publishing

How to bid successfully at a live auction

Bidding at an auction can be a bit daunting at first but it really is great fun.

Here are some simple tips to successful bidding at auctions.

You can bid on many live auctions online, but the real drama takes place within the saleroom itself.

At a live auction not only you can see and examine what you are bidding on but you can feel the tension as the bidding unfolds.

Unless you’re a dab hand at the bidding, auctions can be a little bit intimidating, but the process is a lot of fun and by following these simple tips you will bid successfully and still be smiling when the hammer falls.

An auction is like live theatre and the buyers are part of the action.

It has two main stages.

First stage is the preview before the auction where prospective buyers can either visit the salerooms to examine the goods or in some cases view brief details of the items via the internet.

This is the time to ask questions and find out background information on the goods you may wish to bid on.

“Check your catalogue, decide your top price and more importantly stick to it!”

It's once you’ve decided to bid on an item that the hard part starts!

Next Page (part 2) How to bid successfully at auctions