Michael Hogben

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Michael Hogben (born 6 November 1952), is an auctioneer and antiques dealer, who has appeared in the BBC series Bargain Hunt and his own series "Auction Man."

Famed for his often eccentric style but complete enthusiasum, Hogben's personality and allround expertise in his field has been successfully transferred to both television presenting and expert authoring.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Television 1.2 Personal life 2 Bibliography 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Biography

Born in Foord Road in Folkestone, Kent, Hogben's mother died when he was five leaving him and his brother with their father. Hogben purposefully failed his Eleven plus examination to attend the same school as his brother.

After both brothers had left school, Hogben's father decided to emigrate to Australia leaving the two boys to fend for themselves. Hogben left school at 15 to work in a shop, and within a year was running one himself. Aged 17 Hogben came into a small inheritance, which he invested in opening a fashion boutique called "Mickey Finn" (named after a drug-laced drink), which over the next ten years he expanded with outlets over Kent and South London. He also invested in Kent's first wine bar – "McCartney's" – in Dover.

Having briefly studied art, five years later he opened his own auction house in Folkestone, which then traded for the next fifteen years until he sold it in 2004.

In December 2005 he was charged with retaining two paintings which were being valued for an old lady in Kent^[1]. Released on bail,^[2][3] Judge Nigel van der Bijl dismissed the case at Canterbury Crown Court on 14 May 2007 after hearing of delays in police inquiries and lack of evidence, telling Hogben: “You are an innocent man.”^[4][5] It was later revealed that the "old lady" was in fact 35, and that after Hogben had valued the paintings at £100 each they failed to appear at a Tunbridge Wells auction house when under the care of an independent transport company.^[6]

[edit] Television

Hogben became a "Bargain Hunt" expert when four of the earliest shows visited his auction rooms to sell contestants items. The producer liked Hogben's style so much, he was offered a regular position. Hogben holds the record for the largest profit on a single item on "Bargain Hunt", when a team he led purchased a Royal Worcester box at Ardingly fair for £140, that made £800 in a live auction shown on BBC One.

After screen testing for but deciding against presenting "Flog It!" for the BBC in favour of his business, Hogben's style made him a choice for his own show, which was created in the BBC series "Auction Man." Focusing on his auction rooms, the show showed how the auction room worked, focusing mainly on Michael and his family, and staff including senior porter Eric. The show also showed viewers tips on spotting auction bargains, as well as the characters, celebrities, sharp customers and the unscrupulous dealers, running for two series. Hogben has also presented 30 shows for Channel 4 in a daytime show called "Name your Price." Hogben currently appears on friend David Dickinson's ITV1 show "Dickinson's Real Deal."'

[edit] Personal life

Married to his long term partner Lesley, the couple married in 2000 after living together for a long time - comedian Vic Reeves was best man.^[7] The couple live in Hythe and have five children: Gene, Jai, Emily, Max and Holly.

Hogben has a love of fast cars, and currently drives a Jaguar XK8. His personal art collection includes pieces by Patrick Caulfield and Tracey Emin: "I love her style."

[edit] Bibliography

• "Michael Hogben: A-Z of Antiques and Auction" - 2006
• "101 Antiques for the future" - due for publication in June 2007

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Personal website
• Michael Hogben at the Internet Movie Database