Antiques Trade Gazette

Antiques Trade Gazette is a London-based weekly publication and website serving the art and antiques community. The print publication has around 16,000 subscribers (2015),[1] though its publisher also derives substantial revenues from online auction sites.

For the US antiques trade magazine, see Antique Trader.
Antiques Trade Gazette
EditorNoelle McElhatton
Former editorsMark Bridge, Ivan Macquisten
CategoriesAntiques
FrequencyWeekly
PublisherAuction Technology Group
FounderIvor Turnbull
First issueSeptember 1971
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inLondon
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.antiquestradegazette.com

History

Antiques Trade Gazette was founded in September 1971 in London by journalist Ivor Turnbull, previously diarist at the Evening Standard and editor of Art and Antiques Weekly.[2] It provided a calendar of art and antiques sales, and was initially resented by many antique dealers keen to protect their favourite country sales. However, it eventually became an essential tool of the trade[2] - being described by the Burlington Magazine as the "acknowledged 'Bible' of the fine art and antiques industry".[3]

The Gazette's publisher, Metropress, was acquired by the Daily Mail and General Trust in 1994.[4][5] The company adapted to the internet, creating the-saleroom.com, before, in 2006, launching a live bidding platform, the latest step in its transition from print to an internet offering.[6] In October 2008, when the business had 53 staff and a turnover of £6 million,[7] it was the subject of a management buyout backed by private equity house Matrix[4][5] (today Mobeus Equity Partners).[8] The deal also saw the company divest three US-based publications AntiqueWeek, AntiqueWest and Auction Exchange.[9]

From 15 percent of sales at the time of the MBO in 2008, thesalesroom.com revenues accounted for 45 per cent of the business's £8.9 million turnover by 2012.[6] The company, ATG Media (today Auction Technology Group) has offered its antique bidding platform to publishers in Germany and France, and invested in China’s live auction site, epai.hk.[6] It also has a separate auction site, ibidder.com, focused on industrial equipment.[6]

Private equity firm ECI Partners invested in the business in 2014, by which time the website sold £68.3 million of art and antiques, while ibidder.com saw sales worth £39.4m, generating revenues of over £15 million.[10]

Editors
  • Ivor Turnbull 1971-1994 (Turnbull died in November 1995,[2] and was commemorated by the creation of the Antique Trade Gazette's Ivor Turnbull Memorial Prizes)
  • Mark Bridge 1994-2000
  • Ivan Macquisten 2000-2015
  • Noelle McElhatton 2015–present

References
  1. "ATG Media advertising rates 2015" (PDF). Antiques Trade Gazette. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  2. Mallalieu, Huon (1 December 1995). "Obituary: Ivor Turnbull". The Independent. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  3. "Links". Burlington Magazine. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  4. Sikimic, Simona (26 June 2013). "Meet the woman behind £250m online auction portal ATG Media". London Loves Business. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  5. "Matrix backs Metropress MBO". Real Deals. 16 October 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  6. Hurley, James (17 January 2012). "Antiques Trade Gazette turns over new digital page". Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  7. Mitchenall, Toby (5 January 2013). "Matrix invests £4.5m in antiques trade 'bible'". Private Equity International. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  8. "Matrix has invested £4.5 million to finance the MBO of Metropress from vendor, DMGT". Mobeus Equity Partners. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  9. "DMG World Media sells Antiques Trade Gazette; AntiqueWeek soon to follow". Auction Central News. 6 October 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  10. Armstrong, Ashley (17 May 2014). "ECI to buy 'antiques bible' maker ATG". Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2018.

Official website

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