Mary Swallow is an antiques specialist with over 20 years' experience in the antiques trade. Although her particular passion is historic textiles, she is known for her instinctive eye for unusual and overlooked objects across a broad range of collecting fields.

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Throughout her career, Mary has built an international client base, working with private collectors in both China and the United States. She has also worked as a Senior Valuer for auction houses, where she handled everything from fine art and decorative antiques to private collections and estate contents.

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From an early age, Mary accompanied her parents to auctions, antiques fairs and markets across the country. What began as reluctant weekends spent searching through sale rooms soon became a lifelong fascination with craftsmanship, history and the stories objects can tell.

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Today, Mary spends much of her time travelling the UK  in search of pieces that others might walk past. Whether it's a remarkable textile, an unusual piece of folk art, an overlooked work of art or a beautifully made decorative object, she has developed a reputation for recognising quality, rarity and charm where others see the ordinary.

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Mary believes that the most rewarding discoveries are often the unexpected ones, and she is continually drawn to antiques with individuality, strong provenance and a story worth preserving.

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Mary is also a regular dealer on the long-running Quest television series Salvage Hunters: The Restorers, where she shares her passion for uncovering exceptional antiques with a wider audience.