Question: Which Welsh antiques should I be buying? What are the growing markets?

Not trends, not hype – it’s the stuff with heart. Pieces with a story, a memory, and a proper sense of place. That’s what people want.

The market for Welsh antiques keeps shifting. Some pieces are holding strong, others are gaining fast. What buyers want now is something rooted. If it carries memory or meaning, it matters.

Welsh hats have almost vanished. They used to appear at the odd auction or fair – now they’re rare. Most surviving examples are already in museums or private collections. If one turns up, it’s gone within days.

Welsh blankets continue to hold their appeal. They’ve never really fallen out of favour. It’s the colours, the bold patterns, and the quality that keeps them going. They’re still being used, still being collected, and still standing up well in the market.

The biggest change has been in Welsh art. Kyffin Williams remains the headline name, but prices for others have been climbing. There’s more interest now in Will Roberts, Valerie Ganz, Josef Herman, and even lesser-known regional painters. Buyers want work that reflects real life, real places, and that pride is pushing the market up.

Mining-related items are being taken more seriously too. The focus is on authenticity. Collectors want lamps that were actually used underground – early examples, engraved ones, and anything with signs of honest wear. Pit checks are also seeing demand. The ones marked with colliery names or numbers are most desirable, especially if they’ve come straight from the pit and not the gift shop.

Nantgarw and Swansea porcelain has followed the broader drop in 19th-century ceramics. Prices have dipped, but the value’s still there. These were once among the finest wares in Europe. That heritage hasn’t been forgotten.

Send in your questions to antiques@viewpublishing.co.uk for Kieran to answer in our next issue.