When you see the marketplace domain Antiques.co.uk, you know this is an enterprise that has its roots in the birth of the international art and antiques market’s web life. The man behind it then is the man behind it now, establishing and nurturing an unbroken timeline of curated art, antiques, and collectibles.
Iain Brunt was first drawn to antiques and art through his love and curiosity about the stories behind each piece and their unique place in history. He went on to work for one of the greatest art dealers globally of the 20th Century, Daniel Wildenstein, for twelve years.
The Beauty of Two
As Iain’s experience grew, so did his knowledge and deep understanding of the trade:
“One of the most difficult things to find that everyone wants is matching pairs of things – chairs, candlesticks, even portraits. If you think about it, it’s only natural as pairs bring symmetry and symmetry brings beauty, arguably the single most important quality of the items we handle.”
Realizing there was a gap in the market for a business dedicated to this phenomenon, Iain launched Pairs Antiques, his own shop in the heart of London. Searching for particular items was at the heart of the business and so when online searching came along, it was exactly what he had been looking for.
In 1996, he purchased the domain name Antiques.co.uk, one of the UK’s first online marketplaces for selling art and antiques. “It cost me $1” he reveals. “I realized that dealers could sell on the internet, and art and antiques buyers could buy on the internet. My job was to bring them all together, and that’s what I set about doing.”
Now, 25 years later, Antiques.co.uk has more than 2,000 dealers and 300,000 items. “In 1996, England was the world’s premier source of antiques, and we wanted it to stay that way. I’m delighted to say that a quarter of a century on, it has.”
On Partnering with Ronati
“Ronati is making life simpler for all of us to sell antiques and art on multiple platforms on the internet, giving us all more time to do what we want: finding our next treasure. Congratulations for them all in delivering this idea and we are delighted to be partnered with them.”
Learn more about Iain Brunt and Antiques.co.uk in the short video below. Click here to register for antiques.co.uk.
To learn more about the Ronati eCommerce Manager (eCM), click here.
