What do you think of when you hear the word ‘collector’? I imagine neatly organised cigarette cards, a full set of Ordnance Survey maps from the 1950’s, or perhaps every single orchid ever discovered, all neatly labelled and grown in identical pots. For me collecting is something done by more disciplined and focused people than myself: people who are systematic and perhaps a little obsessed.

Recently though, we have been talking to royal memorabilia collectors building up case studies for our client Peter Jones China. And it made me realise that collections aren’t all about cataloguing and seeking out rare examples.