Stansted Mountfitchet and Bishop’s Stortford are at the centre of one of the most active regions of the country when it comes to buying and selling art, antiques and collectables.

Ideally situated between London and Cambridge, they sit at the heart of a network of auction houses, antiques centres and galleries, stretching from the East Anglian coast to the M1, offering as wide a range of desirable items as you will find anywhere else in the UK.

At Sworders we have an enviable array of nationally respected specialists at our clients’ disposal and conduct market-leading auctions of silver, jewellery, Asian art, 20th century decorative art, fine wine, books and coins.

Whatever you are interested in, buying and selling at auction is not only the most exciting and interesting route to market, it also brings the most potential for turning a profit.

But what do you need to know? Starting this week, my month-by-month guide will help you build all the knowledge you need whether you are thinking of consigning goods for sale or bidding at an auction yourself.

We will also take a look at collecting and how to get started.

So, what do you need to know if you think you have something worth selling at auction?

The first thing to do is to take it along to your local auction house and get them to have a look at it.

If it’s a large item that could be difficult to move, a specialist may even come out to you to inspect it. Make sure first, though, that there is no ‘call-out’ fee involved if they say they will come.

If it is of interest and, of course, you want to sell it, there are a number of things you need to agree on before you commit.

These include collection (if it is too big for you to transport), for which there would be a fee, and insurance to cover the item pre-sale.

If it is to be entered into a fine art and antique sale, it will probably appear in a catalogue. Depending on its value and importance and also just how much is known about it, the catalogue description would include details of what the item is, its measurements, what it is made out of, its age, who made it and even, if significant, its history or provenance.

Guy Schooling, managing director of Sworders Auctioneers.