Antiques · Salvage · The Deal
PATINA HUNTERS
The hunt for real things.

Antiques, salvage and buried treasure — across Asia and wherever the road takes us. We're Angie and James. Come hunting with us.

What we do

Not a haul. Not a hustle.

We turn up somewhere new, dig for the good stuff in the places most people walk past, work a deal, and tell you what it is and what it's worth. Some we buy. Some we just can't leave behind.

i.

The eye

A dealer's knowledge, honestly given — what it is, where it's from, and what it's really worth.

ii.

The deal

The best part. The back room, the long silence, the handshake. We buy properly, and show you how.

iii.

The life

New places, real craft, good lunches, and the freedom to go find them. The life is the point.

Old craft, new tools

We hunt the old world with new eyes.

Every other antiques channel hunts like it's 1986. We don't. The eye still decides — but a modern hunter can do so much more. We put the new toolkit to work in the field, show you exactly how, and help you up your own game.

i.

AI in the field

Snap a piece for an instant read on maker, era and what to check — even a foreign hallmark, translated.

ii.

Comps on the spot

Auction records and live prices, pulled up while you're still stood over the thing.

iii.

The app

Log every find with photos and GPS, plan the route, and know what a town tends to yield.

iv.

Online reach

Proxies and auctions that turn up stock you'd never find on foot, anywhere in the world.

The eye vs the machine
The app saysVictorian brass · about £180
The eye saysRepro. Cast, not spun — wrong join. Walk away.
The machine reads fast. The eye reads true.
Angie and James on the hunt in Japan
Who we are

Husband & wife. One eye, one heart.

British opinions, Filipina timekeeping. James has the dealer's eye for the weighty and the aged; Angie the soft spot for the small and beautiful — jewellery, and a proper head for wine.

He sold up and swapped the treadmill for the hunt. She left the travel-tech desk to get back on the road. Now we do it together, one find at a time.

Join the hunt

The finds, the stories, first dibs.

The good stuff we turn up, what it's really worth, and first access to trips and pieces before anyone else. No noise — just the hunt.

One email when there's something worth sending. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coming soon · waitlist open

Come hunting with us.

Small groups. Curated routes through the best sourcing grounds on earth. Private dealer access, real camaraderie — and you leave with a piece you found yourself, and the knowledge to do it again.

We're planning the first trips now. Add your name and you'll be first to hear, and first through the door.

  • Hunt alongside a working dealer's eye
  • Doors most travellers never see
  • Learn to buy — attribution, value, the deal
  • Small group, big camaraderie
From the road

A few things we found.

The real ones get their own episode. Tap a card to see what it turned out to be worth.

The find

Pair of foundry lamps

A workshop clearance, Hong Kong
Tap to reveal
The verdict
worth 4×
Pairs always command the premium.
The find

Grand Tour bronze

Under a tarp, a back room
Tap to reveal
The verdict
a keeper
Some things you simply don't sell.
Angie's find

Deco cocktail ring

A tray no one looked twice at
Tap to reveal
The verdict
worth 6×
The small and beautiful, every time.
For collectors & designers

Sourcing to brief

A working dealer's eye, hunting to your wants list across Europe and Asia. Selective, discreet, and only ever pieces we'd have in our own home.

Enquire