About the judging process

I have happily parted with many of my possessions over the years, but my small collection of magicians' apparatus is one I'd be very loathed to sell. This is a wooden dice in a mirror-topped box from around 1860, bought at a toy fair about 20 years ago. The dealer had no idea it was a magic trick. Victorian examples are highly desirable, but you can occasionally still find ones, which have gone unrecognised. Don't ask me how many tricks you can perform with it. There are 30 other bits to it. That's not the point – I just love it! I used to watch David Nixon on television as a child and my father was an amateur magician. I've always been enthralled by magic.

When I bought my first flat in London I had an unusually enchanting experience. Because it was a probate sale, I was able to spend a while looking around before the last items were cleared. Although I never saw a photo of the late owner, small clues helped me to build a picture of a very glamorous lady. She had worked as a hairdresser for Kenwood Films in the 1960s, and a collection of BOAC air tickets showed her job had taken her to many exotic places. Among the few items left in the flat were a marquetry box and a collection of elegant vintage feathered hats. I asked the agent if it would be possible to buy the box and hats and, to my delight, the executors let me have both. It seemed somehow welcoming that they were waiting for me when I moved in. The hats went on the wall, the box on my dressing table and both have stayed with me ever since. They sparked off an interest in 'pre-loved' pieces. One of the greatest pleasures of buying antiques is thinking about who has owned them before you.