Mark West Glass; my journey as an antiques dealer and selling online

We recently had the pleasure of visiting Mark West at the Battersea Decorative Fair to film a short client spotlight, and it turned out to be one of our favourite conversations yet.

Mark has been dealing in antique glass since 1970. That's over 55 years spent handling, studying, and selling some of the finest 18th, 19th and 20th century English and European glass in the world. He is a published author on the subject, a longstanding exhibitor at fairs, and one of only a handful of Fellows from outside the United States at the Corning Museum of Glass, widely regarded as the world's premier glass institution. In short, when Mark talks about antique glass, it's worth listening.

In the video, Mark shares what drew him into the world of antique glass in the first place, and what keeps him there. One of the most compelling moments comes when he explains what it means to truly develop a feel for glass. Unlike silver or ceramics, which typically carry hallmarks that identify their maker, origin and date, glass offers no such shorthand. The knowledge has to come from somewhere else entirely: from years of handling pieces, studying them, and developing an almost instinctive sense of who made what, and when. It's a fascinating insight into what separates a great specialist dealer from everyone else.

Mark also talks honestly about how having a website has changed the way clients engage with him. A customer might first encounter him at a fair, buy a piece, and then discover his website, and that's where the relationship deepens. The website becomes a platform for trust: somewhere a client can browse at their own pace, see the breadth of his stock, and feel confident returning to buy again.

And when it comes to working with us? Mark doesn't hold back. "I cannot thank you enough," he says, adding that our service has been "terrific" and, compared to the competition, genuinely good value.

It's a warm, candid and thoroughly enjoyable four minutes. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did filming it.

Watch the video on YouTube below:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghx_r6xJzdM

You can view the Mark West Antique Glass website here:-

www.markwest-glass.com