Antiques and collecting: All the fun of the fair with gems to die for; Richard Edmonds finds all kinds of weird and wonderful things at this year's NEC Antiques for Everyone event.

Byline: Richard Edmonds

'Unbelievable' said David Gibbins, chairman of the Vetting Committees at the NEC. Mr Gibbins was referring to the influx of visitors who were pouring in to the fair as the clock struck 11.

The queues had been enormous from about 9 o'clock and it proves once more the NEC's Summer Antiques For Everyone fair was immediately cooking on gas.

This is the fair that caters for anyone whatever their tastes, whether it is dolls, porcelain, brass, clothing, 1930s embroidery or whatever.

This year you have all kinds of weird and wonderful objects from a sailor's wooden leg (made from fruitwood and expected to bring pounds 475) to one of the earliest fountain pens in existence which was made in Birmingham in 1822 and was revolutionary when it first appeared. The asking price for the pen is pounds 3,500.

Did Keats have one, you wonder, or Shelley or Byron? They were luxury goods at the time and were confined only to those who could afford them.

Jewels are always popular at this particular fair and certain stands as you go round glitter with beautiful things. I was much impressed with a 14ct golden diamond brooch designed by the great Carl Faberge for the wealthy middle class in St Petersburg. It was offered by Mir Russki for pounds 6,350.

I noticed a fine Swiss-made gold enamel box at Sheldon Shapiro. It carried a beautiful miniature of a court orchestra. Everything was portable including the keyboard. It was a piece to die for and so was the price, pounds 14,500.

I did spend a long time with a charming woman at Hillhaven, the Birmingham antique linen specialists. On this delightful stand you find enough crinoline ladies on tea cosy covers to satisfy you for the rest of your life. It reminded me of my early battle with my sister when I was trying to copy her lazy daisy embroidery stitch. I was eight at the time and I threw the embroidery into the fire because I couldn't master it. Screams of outrage all round.

David Bates is the Birmingham 19th century artist whose oil paintings of Wales, with its rivers, heaths and mountains have always drawn the buyers. Haynes Fine Art of Broadway had a very nice example of a typical Bates scene with mountain and sparkling water. Dated 1909 it had a label of pounds 7,850 hanging on it.

But my particular favourite on this stand was a scrumptious oil painting called The Bibliophile. A book shop, obviously, but a 19th century book shop full of atmosphere. The artist shows old folios, 15th century music manuscripts and a counter top groaning under the books. Wonderful expressions on everyone's face - even the dog's.

Koos Limburg Jr, the Scottish dealer was showing some very desirable items. I noticed several luxurious African masks in various materials including bronze, antique ivory inlaid Indian mirrors, bronzes, some very pretty 1930s porcelain and a set of delicately carved Black Forest figures.

The Woodall family of Stourbridge were also visiting the fair. I found two of them gazing at a good piece of carved Stourbridge cameo glass. And we can all remember that cameo glass was the speciality of the great George Woodall. This dainty thing was at Hickmet Fine Art. The price dipped just a little below the pounds 2,000 mark. Curious to think that the Woodalls, some years after George's death, were glad to receive a bucket of potatoes from a neighbouring farmer to help them along. If only they had kept a bucketful of the glass instead.

Art Nouveau Originals always carry delightful items. This year I noticed a fine figure group from Rosenthal, the German porcelain firm. Sculpted by Richard Aigner the piece was called Springtime and showed a nude male and female in the first flush of young love. I also noticed a pair of striking bookends in cream crackle glaze from the French factory. Called Edition Kaza, circa 1930, they were offered at around pounds 330 and were worth it.

How rare it is to see Toulouse-Lautrec prints at this fair. But here they were, along with prints by Gauguin made after his first Tahitian voyage. There were also items by William Blake, Matisse, Bonnard, Goya and Renoir. Most items were around the pounds 1000-plus mark. But Clyffe Hangings of Wiltshire carry distinguished items and I do recommend a visit to their stand.

Antiquities have always attracted me and I was amazed at the reasonable prices I found at Millennium Antiques. Ushabtis were the tiny blue faience figures buried in ancient Egyptian tombs alongside the mummy. They were glazed models of the people the Pharaoh had known in life and who would accompany him into death.

Frankly, I love them and here were affordable prices from pounds 65 upwards. On this stand, with its lovely Tang horses, look out for antique Chinese glass bracelets for pounds 28. Some fine antique coins from Roman times and beyond, were also on offer. Again, don't miss a visit.

Ashleigh House Antiques, the Birmingham dealers can always be relied upon to carry a good bronze or two. Therefore, it's not surprising to report a pair of lovers in bronze by the French sculptor Lalouette. Recalling the French Empire period, this figure group was priced in excess of pounds 2,000 but it was really charming. And you know what they say, if you have to ask the price you can't really afford it.

And for those drama groups who are thinking of doing a production of Hamlet in the near future, I have found just the dealer to help you with the real thing when you come to the bit with the skull.

Simon Thomas, who trades as Affordable Arts, had an interesting collection of human skulls from a Dutch graveyard. They were 17th century and they drew me up rather sharply since they put the collecting of beautiful things firmly into context: one moment a collector is going around with a cheque book, the next minute all that's left of him is - well, a skull. They cost pounds 75 and in their way they were really rather friendly.

There are two loan collections on display at the fair. One is a display of advertising packages, cards, tins, bottles, enamel signs, posters and much more gathered from Britain's confectioners, grocers, chemists, tobacconists, pubs and so on from the 1880s to the 1930s. For those who like packaging some of these items will prove to be completely fascinating.

Also on show is the renowned Pinto Collection of Treen from the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Here are all kinds of things made in wood including a unique 16th century boxwood snuffbox carved in the style of Cellini and a Japanese Cane water keg issued to soldiers in the First World War. And while we're talking of Hamlet, this particular exhibition also shows a 250-year-old grave diggers' collecting box.

The fair closes tomorrow at 6pm.

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CAPTION(S):

Main picture, Lynne Elliott with a 4th century head of Buddha and below, Isabel Corry takes a close look at some of the antiques on sale at the NEC