Man of Auction

A soundtrack of ragtime tunes sets the tone for a leisurely trawl around the view for Hogben Auctioneers' Saturday sale. Doors flung open wide encourage a flow of casual strollers; treasures are piled high in the aisles for inspection (everything from roll-top desks to stuffed songbirds); and there are bacon butties and cups of tea to be had.

Since he started the business 15 years ago Michael Hogben, proprietor of the friendly Folkestone auction house, has made it his mission to demystify the quasi-Masonic world of the saleroom and welcome the private punter. Last year he began evangelising to a wider audience with appearances as an expert on Bargain Hunt and as protagonist of the BBC's popular fly-onthe-wall documentary, Auction Man.

Last week the irrepressible Hogben appeared on Hell's Kitchen as a celebrity guest, and got fed: "It was fantastic," he says - although he did not attempt to auction Gordon Ramsay.

Clad in one of his trademark colourful suits, Hogben flits between valuations, telephone enquiries and cheerful exchanges with staff and regulars. In demand from all sides nowadays, he is running his business, making numerous radio and TV appearances and developing a book. Despite his stretched schedule, in the interests of the cause he has agreed to divulge some tips of the trade that will make auction virgins feel more confident about their first trip to the saleroom.

He says: "Attracting the public to auctions has always been one of my main targets." The music shifts to a medley of songs from My Fair Lady as Hogben warms to his theme. "When I started going to sale rooms as a dealer 20 years ago, they were so unfriendly. It was like some funny handshake society, and they always held sales in the middle of the week so that no one except the dealers could go, I decided to have auctions on a Saturday and play mellow music and make my place a friendly environment where people could come and walk about calmly - not rush in and rush out immediately, intimidated by their surroundings."

The recipe was a success: Hogben's now sells 800 lots every three weeks (at an impressive rate of 120 lots an hour when Hogben is in full flow), and his key ingredients have been copied throughout the industry.