Patrick van der Vorst on what ValueMyStuff is all about...
“It’s a website where you can find out the value of your art, antiques, collectables within 48 hours. We have a team of over 50 experts, all of whom have worked for Sotheby’s and Christies, and for a fee of £5.99 per item you can basically find out how much an item is worth.”
On the importance of previous experience in the industry...
“Oh it’s crucial and paramount, just on a practical level. All 50 experts are people I know and I’ve worked with before. Having worked at Sotheby’s you get an inside knowledge of the antique business.
By having worked at Sotheby’s you get an inside knowledge of the antique business
“It’s a very traditional world and if you want to present it in a different, modern and accessible way, you need to first have knowledge of the industry.”
On the difficulties of marrying the tradition world of antiques with the internet...
“I would say a lot of its success is probably to do with timing. I think if I wanted to set up the website five years ago it wouldn’t have worked.
“People wouldn’t have felt comfortable sending photos of their items online, and uploading pictures of things in their house. Also, from a technological point of view, many people wouldn’t have had digital cameras at the time - so in a sense it was down to good timing.
