Appraisal Day

Tim Corfield      

Tim Corfield is a second-generation antiques expert; he has 20 years of experience in the industry and is a member of the British Antique Dealers Association. He has an unerring eye for a genuine piece and having managed a large restoration business he is also an expert in assessing restoration requirements.

Throughout he career he has helped to create and maintain a number of significant private collection in the United States and Britain, the most notable being in Silicon Valley and New York.
In 2003 and Tim set up Corfield Morris with Daniel Morris, a former Director of Sotheby’s. The company offers professional and independent advice on fine and decorative arts. They also offer clients a range of services such as; sourcing, buying, selling, maintaining works of art and jewellery. They help clients to seek single item purchases or work with clients who have large private collections. For more information please see www.corfieldmorris.com

Martyn Downer     

Martyn is managing director of Myfamilysilver.com. He read history at the University of Edinburgh before entering the silver trade with Hancocks and Co. the renowned silver dealers in London’s West End. In 1993 he joined Sotheby’s where he became Director and head of the Jewellery department in London.

Martyn is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and a director of Corfield Morris Fine Art and Antique Advisors. He has published three books: Nelson’s Purse (Bantam Press, 2004), The Queen’s Knight (Bantam Press, 2006) and The Sultan of Zanzibar (Blackspring Press, 2010).
 

Rebekah Kaufman    

Rebekah is a third generation Steiff collector. Her German-born grandmother had a love for the brand over four decades, and Rebekah is the proud steward of many of her Grandmother’s childhood Steiff treasures.

Rebekah’s passion became her vocation for several years when she had the pleasure of working for the US division of Margarete Steiff GmbH. Rebekah has a collection of 600 vintage Steiff treasures in her personal collection.

She is a regular contributor to the publications Teddy Bear and Friends and the global Steiff Club Magazine, where she writes about vintage Steiff. Rebekah is also the administrator on the Steiff Facebook fan page, the National Steiff Examiner at Examiner.com and a regular contributor to Collectors Weekly. Her blog, My Steiff Life www.mysteifflife.blogspot.com receives thousands of visits monthly from worldwide enthusiasts.

Martin Willis        

As a second-generation auctioneer Martin graduated from Missouri Auction school in 1977 and has over 35 years experience working at auctions in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Colorado and California. Martin handled hundreds of works by American artist, Walt Kuhn from his daughter Brenda Kuhn’s estate, as well as The Josiah Bartlett Auction, signer of The Declaration of Independence, the Estate of Jack Sharkey, Heavyweight Champion of The World, 1932 and more recently he has been the exclusive appraiser for TV mogul Merv Griffin’s Estate including all of his California properties. He sold at auction the second to last letter Abraham Lincoln wrote, which was written on his knee in the White House corridor just a few hours before he left for Ford’s Theater.

Martin Willis founded the Antique & Auction Forum in August 2009 and formerly served as a board member of The American Decorative Arts Forum, Northern California. Listed as a lifetime member in the National Register, Library of Congress in Who is Who in America, charter member of the Board of Director’s National Antiques Council, past board member of the National Auctioneers Association, past Vice President and Board Member of the New Hampshire Auctioneers Association.