Take a course in antique collecting and you might discover you’re sitting on a Herman Miller of the future…

The UK has a healthy obsession with nostalgia and television and magazines further fuel our enthusiasm for the past. Add our eagerness to bag a bargain and you’re part way there to understanding this nation’s passion for antiques.

In London alone we have some of the world’s leading auction houses: Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams are the most famous. Sotheby’s has been running auctions since 1744. In March that year, founder Samuel Baker sold a library described as ‘containing several hundred scarce and valuable books in all branches of polite literature’ for a few hundred pounds. In 1983, Sotheby’s sold a single book from the same collection  for over £8million.
The media loves to report tales of people finding a Turner in their loft or a Constable behind the wardrobe. But the world of antiques is not just about ancient and expensive art or books. Some experts consider anything older than 100 years to be an antique; others claim only items made before 1920 are ‘antiques’ and that newer objects are ‘collectibles’.

Many who bought Herman Miller furniture in the 1950s and 60s wouldn’t have realised they were sitting on what would become the leading antiques of the mid-century, examples of which now sell well beyond their original value. There is no single rule to help you predict the future value of an item, but a course in antiques provides a good basic grounding.

The annual Olympia International Art and Antiques Fair takes place 9th to 19th June, where you can bag yourself a bargain, invest in a piece for the future or admire the exhibits. The fair hosts a number of lectures and courses given by experts.

From the large and impressive to the small and intimate, the Charing Cross Collectors’ Fair is open on Saturdays from 8am to 5pm. Here you’ll find smaller items, such as furniture, stamps and coins.

If old toys are your passion, visit the Sandown Park Toy Collectors Fair, which takes place four times a year in February, May, September and November. And in May, September and November, you can get your antiques valued for free at the Alexandra Palace Antiques, Collectors and 20th-Century Fair. If Herman Miller furniture is your thing, then the Brighton and Hove 20th Century Home Furnishings Fair is the place to find your dream piece.

Take a course in antique collecting, conservation or art history and you might discover you’re sitting on a small fortune.