Interview with Ed Bailey, Decorative Antiques and Curiosities Expert

Why did you want to be part of Millionaire Hoarders? 

I'm a collector myself and, luckily, I'm a collector who can actually part with items. I suppose that’s when you become a dealer. To be able to let go of items is such an important lesson and a lot of the people I met aren’t quite there yet, but they might learn that lesson from being part of this series. Once you reach that stage and have learned to let go of that emotion, you almost stop becoming a hoarder. I’ve been through that process. 

How fascinating did you find discovering what people collect? 

I didn't know someone collected Christmas tree brooches [episode 2]. I did know people collect keys [later in the series], but not to the extent of having drawers and drawers full of keys, paintings of keys, and key bedspreads. 

What did you enjoy most - finding out more about the people and their collections, or helping them to part with some of their items? 

What I always love, obviously, is finding an item. When I was younger and stepping up in the antiques trade people would say to me, “You have a good eye.” That gave me confidence and is what led me into this career. To have a good eye means you end up manifesting items to you - you know where to look and where to find them.

In this series, though, the people were even better than finding an item. You meet incredible characters and go from a huge country house and estate to a flat in Staines. To meet such a variation of people, and see such a variation of collections, was great. 

Did you manage to persuade the contributors to part with pieces? 

Not all of the time! It became impossible, because people had become so attached to them. These are collectors who are online every day, spending the same amount of time you spend at work, searching for items. They’re on eBay or auction sites looking to find something to add to their collection or hoard. 

Did you enjoy seeing someone reaffirm an emotional attachment with a forgotten piece they wanted to sell? 

To take them on a journey to find out more about an item they knew nothing about, but I knew something about, was so enjoyable. To share knowledge is why I'm in this game. I enjoy researching an item and going down a rabbit hole to see where that takes you. They were learning information about objects they wouldn’t have found out without me, which was great. In my trade you pay to learn, because when you pay out for a piece you then learn if it’s a fake, a replica, or authentic. You pay for your knowledge. 

What are some of your favourite moments in the series? 

I really loved Doddington Hall [in later run], because James and Claire were absolutely amazing and for an antiques dealer their home is a feast for the eyes. There was a glazed cabinet in their toilet which had antiquities, including superb Egyptian pieces, and pieces from the Grand Tour. 

I love the Grand Tour, when the wealthy in the Georgian and Victorian era would travel across Europe and document their journey. The man who amassed this collection had written a book detailing all the objects he’d brought back, and some of the book is like an illuminated manuscript. It’s an outstanding item and I can understand why that had to be kept in the house. With the provenance, that book would sell for a huge figure at an auction house