BS People: Richard Madley

The gavel master

In the world of specialist auctioneers, Richard Madley describes himself as an “all-rounder”, given the varied nature of the auctions he has conducted the world over. He was the last to conduct an auction at the Windows of the World at the top of the ill-fated World Trade Centre in New York.

His 30-year-love affair with furniture combines with a fascination for oriental carpets and a passion for 20th century British art. He and his wife collect Poole Pottery and vesta cases. But it is in the world of sport where Madley has built a formidable reputation as an auctioneer.

Madley, 52, is a second generation auctioneer, who hails from Wales in the UK. He has conducted auctions of Impressionist art, drawings by Old Masters, fine jewellery and 18th century furniture. “I have conducted some fantastic sales in London and New York. From Old Masters to Chippendale furniture, I have dropped my gavel on millions of pounds of antiques and works of art in a career that has taken me around the world,” Madley says.

Having made regular TV and radio appearances on BBC and ITV, Madley helped pioneer the Antiques Roadshow, a British programme in which appraisers travel to various regions of the UK and abroad to appraise pieces brought by local people. It was also a huge success in the US.

Although he was a junior international hockey player and had a stint as a Surrey league cricketer, it was his involvement with sports collections that first introduced him to the world of sporting heroes. He was the first auctioneer to launch auctions of rugby memorabilia – in the shadows of the Arms Park rugby stadium in Cardiff. He is today the chosen auctioneer for the Welsh Rugby Players’ Association.

The Indian Premier League player auction in Mumbai in 2008, he admits, “Was undoubtedly the high-point of my career, where I sold some of the world’s leading cricketers to owners of franchises in the newly formed IPL.” His expertise was again on view last weekend when he conducted another round of player auctions in Bangalore.