Ed Bailey (00:01.161) Right, hi everybody and welcome to another real wonder camera podcast. I have Ali. Ciao Ali. Thanks for coming on. Ali's from Italy. Turin is it Ali you're from?

Alessandro (00:06.606) Dive in the-

Alessandro (00:12.586) Yes, Turin, North of Italy, correct.

Ed Bailey (00:15.037) Yeah, and Ali is, if you don't know him already, he's an amazing collector of both curios and wonder camera. And he sort of collects items that rarely have great provenance and a great story behind. That's sort of what you look for, is that right?

Alessandro (00:32.446) Yes, I reopened a physical shop two months ago in Turin because after many years on Instagram only, I was looking for more human contact, a human relationship from an economic point of view. Maybe it doesn't make very sense, but it doesn't matter because I like to share passions, to meet people. So I'm really enjoying it, this good start.

Ed Bailey (00:36.926) Yeah.

Ed Bailey (00:52.698) Yeah

Ed Bailey (01:01.29) Yeah, it's always nice to, Instagram's great, isn't it Ali? It is a great place to get in contact with people around the world, but you can't be someone coming in and showing them what you've got, you know, and especially with some of the items that you have that have such a wonderful story behind them, which I love. Whenever I go onto your Instagram, you've always went into so much detail.

with the story and the provenance behind those items. And I think that's what is so good when you have people coming into the shop, obviously, so you can really tell them about that story.

Alessandro (01:42.25) Yeah, yeah, you're right, because what really excites me about an item is not really its rarity, its beauty, but the history behind it. Because in some way you can live in another age just through the items, discovering new habits, imagining all the centuries that items go through. And so that's what makes the difference to me.

Ed Bailey (02:10.858) Yeah, you re-

Alessandro (02:10.91) and sharing it with other people that have the same passion is the best reward for me.

Ed Bailey (02:17.89) It's um nice to find out you know new things. I mean how long have you been? collecting Ali

Alessandro (02:28.182) Well, I can remember a phase of my life when I was not collecting. I mean, since I was a child, I was obsessed with every kind of collections. So I could say that I started as a serious collector when I was a teenager. And my beginning was a bit strange for Nautilus because I was a heavy collector of pressing

So the center eye bones, you know?

Ed Bailey (03:02.204) What were you collecting? I'm sorry.

Alessandro (03:05.394) of pressing irons. Look.

Ed Bailey (03:08.033) Oh, okay. Oh, interesting. Right. Okay. Well, that's very different. I did not know that. So is there many people that collect iron sally?

Alessandro (03:23.442) You can't believe the world behind the said items. There are conventions, dedicated auctions, crazy prices.

Ed Bailey (03:33.069) Really? Oh, that's incredible. So what is the most sought after iron in a collector? If you were a collector of an iron, what would be the most sought after iron?

Alessandro (03:34.538) Yes. Yes, yes.

Alessandro (03:46.754) Yes, so there are a plenty of different models that you can even imagine because we are user to the most common ones but there are several shapes, several technologies and I sold my collection, of course, several years ago but I kept my preferred one that was this one and this is one of the oldest pressing iron known because it's from the 16th century.

Ed Bailey (04:04.986) Right. Oh, and that's...

Alessandro (04:16.37) It's of course wrought iron, but I love of course the design and the fact that the handle is shaped like a salamander. Okay so this is a little head with this shape. So it's a primitive iron that already contains what in the later years more excite me, that is folk art basically.

Ed Bailey (04:27.895) Oh, unusual.

Alessandro (04:45.954) primitive arts, primitive design. I can feel the effort of the blacksmith to produce this kind of iron. And so that's why among all my collection, that's the ones that I kept for me, yeah.

Ed Bailey (05:04.129) So Ali, it started off with irons and then where have you ended up now? Because what would be your main sort of items that you collect, would you say?

Alessandro (05:18.722) It's hard to say because as you know, following my Instagram, I cover several areas. I can say that the history of medicine for sure has been my first obsession following pressing the iron. Everything started finding a monaural stethoscope in a flea market. It is an instrument to...

to hear the beat of the art, of course. And so following this first discovery, I go further details of medical history. And so I became an expert in anticsurgical and medical instruments. Then I moved in a more spread way to the anticscientific instruments. But my real passion is folk art. Folk art, religious art.

I'm a collector of antique ex-voto, painted ex-voto, for instance. You know, the paintings where the miracles are represented in order to thank for surviving an incident, for recovering from an illness and so on.

Ed Bailey (06:40.313) Yes, because Italy as well and the provinces, they had a lot of that, didn't they? It was very like, how would you say, tarot and fortune telling and magic, you know? Was that sort of more provincial thing in Italy, do you think?

Alessandro (07:04.727) Sorry, I've-

Ed Bailey (07:06.673) So you say about this X-Fohto and all this idea of miracles and things like that. Well, that's very, I always imagine that as very sort of Italian and as in sort of fortune tellers and old women that would go and see people and that sort of thing. And is that the sort of thing that you collect that history of the provinces and the f***ing f

the countryside in Italy.

Alessandro (07:39.722) Yes, yes, definitely this is one of the places where you can find this kind of stuff. And for instance, I love when there is an intersection between religious feelings and superstition, for instance. I can show you an item that in my idea perfectly represents this kind of attitude.

Alessandro (08:08.082) it's this Jesus, but maybe I can open it because it's easier. So this is a Jesus at the first sight, but it's an automa. So if you look to it carefully, you can see that he can open and close his eyes. And you can move the mouth as well.

Ed Bailey (08:39.841) That's incredible.

Alessandro (08:42.651) There are two keys.

Alessandro (08:47.234) And then I think that in this way, you can scare the religious persons. And the offer to the church were much more richer after this demonstration of Jesus.

Ed Bailey (08:55.382) Hahaha

Alessandro (09:07.255) This is from Sicily, where you can find the most interesting example of crossing between superstitious and popular beliefs and religions.

Ed Bailey (09:23.489) So would the, so people would actually, would they think that was, someone would be working that where they wouldn't be able to see them and they would think that was a miracle? Would that be what they would use that for? Would it be sort of-

Alessandro (09:40.172) Well, I think we're good.

Ed Bailey (09:42.253) Yeah, do you think? And then they would, because would someone sort of work it from underneath a table or something, and you wouldn't know that someone was working it.

Alessandro (09:53.226) Well, this kind of stuff was in the church for sure, but out home like these are not really known, so they were very, very specific. So it's hard to understand where it could be used, but if I imagine it in the darkness of a church, it should be very scary for people.

Ed Bailey (10:21.333) Yeah, it's a great thing. What is it made out of, Ali? What material is it?

Alessandro (10:27.035) It's made of carved wood inside the glass dome with the real crown of spikes. Yes, of thorns, spikes, yeah.

Ed Bailey (10:37.697) Thorns. Yeah, thorns. Yes, yes, wow. That's an incredible piece. And that's obviously one of your best pieces in your collection. Is that one of your favourite pieces?

Alessandro (10:50.942) Yes, yes, definitely. That's why it's still my home. This moment, having opened a cup, it's hard to ever define the boundary between personal collection and items for sales. But for sure, this is one of my preferred ones. Yes, it's just behind my desk. This way I can enjoy it every time I'm at work. Yes. But, yes.

Ed Bailey (11:06.893) Mmm.

Ed Bailey (11:17.533) That's amazing. So you have some, yes please show me some more items because they're amazing. You have such a wonderful collection.

Alessandro (11:26.286) I was playing with this head. These are, speaking about exvoto, some very rare exvoto from Naples. Because usually you know, you can see the metal heart or the arm, the leg, so part of the body that was offered to thank the god for recovery. But in this case, the exvoto...

was a full representation of the head and the face of the person or of the lady that was receiving the miracle. So this kind of ex-foto were hung to the wall of the church in order to make tangible the acknowledgement.

that the mercy for the mercy received. Yeah. So these extremely rare are from Naples. Yeah.

Ed Bailey (12:28.298) And...

Ed Bailey (12:33.488) Wow. And they're metal, are they? They press metal.

Alessandro (12:38.474) Yes, it's metal, but it's hollow, so it has been worked from the inside in order to represent the real face of the person. And in some of them, there's carved on the neck the name of the person and the date. These are from 19th century.

Ed Bailey (13:01.87) Wow, they've got a great look.

Alessandro (13:03.35) But I love, for instance, yeah, look at the way they shape also the air of this lady. That is still seeing it to us.

Ed Bailey (13:18.833) Wow, incredible. They're great. I really like them, Ali. They're really cool. They're quite sort of, they just give you a great feeling, you know, because they're such, the sort of the way that they've detailed a person is, it doesn't look like a person, but has the feeling of a person, you know? Which is very unusual, isn't it?

Alessandro (13:40.67) Yeah, correct. They perfectly remind you the genuine faith that makes this person invest in this kind of items that was for sure expensive at that time because they had to charge an artist to produce this artifact and to give it as a gift to the church. But for them it was the most important thing in that moment.

Ed Bailey (14:08.541) Yeah. They wanted that miracle, didn't they? They wanted the miracle, basically, didn't they? Yeah. They would go a long way to get their miracle. Yes. And what have you got next to you there, Ali? Because I'm interested in the piece that you have next to you. My eyes are drawn to this one. Yes.

Alessandro (14:10.591) That's a great relic.

Alessandro (14:16.55) Yeah, definitely, definitely. So, well, that's important. Yeah.

Alessandro (14:34.386) Yeah, there is this little creepy doll. Oh, look, don't worry, my lady. So this is a Gussie Decker doll. Gussie Decker was the maker that patented this kind of doll in the late 19th centuries, and it's leather stuffed with horse hair. And...

Ed Bailey (14:39.731) Yeah.

Ed Bailey (14:43.782) Hehehehe

Alessandro (15:04.534) This was basically a toy in order to teach to the children to lace the string for the shoes, okay?

Ed Bailey (15:15.543) Oh, okay, yes, that's great.

Alessandro (15:18.39) So in this way, yeah, but following.

Ed Bailey (15:22.29) My little son is now learning to tie his shoes. And I'm having to, and I'm literally, I'm trying to teach him how to tie his shoes. And that, what a great tool to learn with, because it's, yeah, that's amazing.

Alessandro (15:27.123) F.S.I.

Alessandro (15:35.798) Yeah. But they are now a little bit creepy because the aspect was not very friendly, but it was a very, very funny way to learn the children how to use the shoes. Yeah.

Ed Bailey (15:41.905) Yes, yes, do.

Ed Bailey (15:56.529) They've got that wonderful patina as well because they've been handled so many times with the leather as well. And obviously you get the oils, don't you, coming out and it gives it that great look, that sort of look that you can't fake, you know, for age-wise, which is amazing, isn't it? Ali, I actually, do you have any, do you have some more items?

Alessandro (16:15.19) Yeah, yeah.

Alessandro (16:21.238) Yeah, sure. So this is for you, Ed, because I know it's one of your passions. So... Okay, let's see if we are able to show you this. So, this is...

Ed Bailey (16:22.366) Yeah, brilliant.

Ed Bailey (16:28.416) hahahaha

Ed Bailey (16:35.325) Oh, I can remember these, Ali. These are amazing. I love these.

Alessandro (16:43.219) I know, I know. So this is Nessie, as you know. So this is the monster of Loch Ness. This is surprising some poor people on the beach that are running frightened by it. So this is a great folk art painting. And it's even better because behind it there is a paper

Ed Bailey (16:47.164) Yes.

Alessandro (17:09.922) the date that it's 1933, that is, let's say, I would say the beginning of the obsession with Nessie with the first time that I see it. And there is also, let's say, yeah, the story of the monster. But it's funny because along with this, there are also...

Ed Bailey (17:13.165) Wow.

Ed Bailey (17:19.541) Hmm.

Ed Bailey (17:24.854) Oh, I love it.

Alessandro (17:38.446) Two other ones with the artist that is imagining Nessie fighting with another Dinosaur.

Ed Bailey (17:48.365) Wow.

Alessandro (17:51.402) and also be unhitted with the explanation about the kind of monster that is fighting. And another one of it...

Ed Bailey (17:51.645) Wow, look at that.

Alessandro (18:06.282) with our Nessie that is eating on the grass.

Ed Bailey (18:13.165) They are so, they're brilliant. Thank you, Ali, for showing, because I can remember when you, I just thought it was a great piece, because to find a painting of the Loch Ness Monster, and also the age, because Nessie, there was just such a sort of like a buzz about Nessie in like the 1930s and 40s, and you see that with postcards and, well, there still is, I mean, do you believe in the Loch Ness Monster, Ali?

Alessandro (18:45.026) I believe in it for several years because when I was a teenager, my life was changed by a book about Nessie and I became a fan of cryptozoologists that, as you know, is the science that studies this kind of missing animals like the Yeti, the Mokele and Bamba in Africa and Nessie and so on. So yeah, I'm still looking for the...

Ed Bailey (19:08.307) Yeah... Yes, cool.

Alessandro (19:13.524) is discovery, let's say.

Ed Bailey (19:15.85) So let's talk about cryptozoology. What is your favorite monster? You know, the cryptozoology monster. What is your favorite one, Ali?

Alessandro (19:27.03) Well, for sure, Nessie. Nessie because the taste around the lake was amazing. With the priests that look, the sikhit, the monks that in middle age already identified it, the drawings. And yes, Nessie has a special place in my heart.

Ed Bailey (19:28.885) Yeah.

Ed Bailey (19:47.569) Yeah, I love I love I love Nessie and I love the Yeti as well because I just think that they're both

Ed Bailey (19:57.769) they could be true. I mean, Nessie could be a Plesiosaur or a dinosaur. Yeah. And, and the Yeti could be sort of Nefandatul man, that type of thing. You know, like a primitive human, you know, and yeah, I've just, yeah, so I've just, I like them both because they're believable. There's some that

Alessandro (20:04.45) Sure. Not great.

Alessandro (20:18.462) Provided that yes in the case

Ed Bailey (20:26.889) you just think are too far out to believe. But those two, and I think that's why they're probably the most popular, is because you can almost resonate with them and actually believe in them, which is great. Yeah, I'm a big cryptozeology fan, Ali, so you're talking to the right person as well. Yeah. And the same with me as well. It was when you were younger, there was like the book of monsters.

Alessandro (20:38.75) Yeah, yeah.

Alessandro (20:43.746) Oh great, you can understand me great.

Ed Bailey (20:55.069) and it would really get your imagination going. And I think that's why I like wonder cam and curios as well, because that also gets your mind going as well. You sort of have to research it. You sort of have to look into it, you know, which is really fun. And then it can be a real thing and then it can be a fake thing. You know, you sort of, it could go either way when you do your research into it, which is really fun as well. So...

Alessandro (21:21.79) Yeah, it's a great way to redirect your sense of wonder for sure.

Ed Bailey (21:29.389) So I've got some questions for you as well. So because I put on Instagram I said I was doing a podcast with you and I had a few questions so I'm going to just picked a couple. So from

Alessandro (21:51.562) Okay, look, I start as a most of us as a big fan of the cabinet de curiosité. Okay, so the place where you put together all the items of your collection, creating a smaller or bigger cabinet and so on. Now I might say that I'm a bit evolving or changing in my mind because

I no longer like the massive accumulation of items altogether, but I prefer to have them spread around, for instance, my house, without maybe an accumulation on the same topic. Okay, so I'm no longer a fan of the vertical collection. I mean, I...

I'm a vertical collector in several areas, but I must say that I have two things in the future. I would prefer the customer when they ask me an item without any connection with the precedent collection. But just because they'll fall in love with a specific item and they are able to put it in the place where they live.

So in this way, this item will become a part of the everyday life. That's what I think it's. And so when I propose some things, I propose some things not as part of a broader collection. Because it means that you need to enter in a tunnel that will last and will work for the life. I prefer to select a unique items, but that can make the difference in your daily life.

So when somebody asks me, better if I buy three pieces or just one? No, please, select the best one because you will be always happy to look at it instead of three medium value fees that will not change your experience. So I think that the... Yeah.

Ed Bailey (23:58.125) Hmm.

Ed Bailey (24:05.129) Yeah, I think you're right. I think it's changing to, instead of having a room with a collection in, it's changing to specific pieces in an interior that become a talking point. So they become the, you walk into a room, you see something and they'll be, oh, what is this? And then you'll be able to talk about it. Whereas...

cabinet of curiosities has so many that you're not just drawn to that one item it's almost like oh it's a cabinet of curiosities and you don't delve into each item where if it whereas if it's a standout item you you're able to channel all of your attention into it you know and I think that's a good a great a great way for the wonder camera and curio sort of

Alessandro (24:57.002) Yeah.

Ed Bailey (25:02.069) well to go as well because it's really going to open it up for any place in the house then or in the business or in the shop you know in that sort of way.

Alessandro (25:16.806) Yeah, exactly, exactly. I totally agree with you. So, of course, most of us are not the paradigm of that because my house is not a single item that brings attention. It's a tons of items. So, I'm not really the champion in this approach. But generally speaking, I'm also considering that not everybody, of course, can food their house with old stuff.

Ed Bailey (25:30.693) is everything. Yes. I think we're.

Alessandro (25:46.054) I think that a few special pieces could be the right balance for everybody.

Ed Bailey (25:52.865) Yeah, it will bring more people into this field as well, won't it? Because you haven't got to have so many then, you can just have a serious piece to talk about as a wow factor. So I've got another question and you'll like this one. This is from Fleeting Fox Antiques. So he says, what's, and he's a bit, he's really into anatomy and medical, I know that with Jay. So what's been your favourite piece out of all your anatomy pieces?

Alessandro (26:24.378) Okay, yes. As you know, I don't like to sell my pieces very much. And so I often regret about pieces sold in the past. But among my biggest regret is for a couple of capital amputations sold from the 16th century that I sold in the past. So to me amputation was in the...

imagination the most gruesome operation in the past. You can neither do things that there was no anesthetics so you can well imagine the impact of that kind of surgery and the bigger amputation was really my favorite one.

I got a couple in the past, I sold them, I regret it. So I'm looking for another one to replace it in my collection.

Ed Bailey (27:26.718) And what would be your sort of dream piece, I mean, to find? What is the piece that you would be like the holy grail for your collection? Is there a piece out there that you really want?

Alessandro (27:44.854) Yes, I often ask myself these kind of questions and I must say that the answer changes every day because it really depends on... because my patience changes very quickly. But you know that I'm in love with antique mannequins. So the life-size mannequins for painters, for artists. And among them...

Ed Bailey (28:11.341) Okay, yeah.

Alessandro (28:14.51) There are the French ones that had an inside skeleton of iron and food and stuffed with ore sire in order to make the proper body. I have a couple of them that are extremely rare, but even rarer is the children. So there is the...

Ed Bailey (28:37.468) Oh, okay.

Alessandro (28:39.522) the version of this kind of life-size mannequins of the children, extremely rare. I came across in a couple of picture of them in the past, but I never seen it by real. So yes, for today, today my answer would be the children version of that kind of mannequins, yes.

Ed Bailey (29:05.713) Have you shown all the items that you've got there, Ali, at the moment? Or have you got anything else to show us? Was that it with the Loch Ness Monster? Or is there any more?

Alessandro (29:15.138) Oh, well, I can still share this kind of oddities. Okay, let's see if you can see it a little bit. So this is a belt. This is basically a belt. Maybe you can imagine the user. So there was an age in the 19th century, early 20th century,

Ed Bailey (29:19.313) Oh, right.

Alessandro (29:44.478) masturbation was not really well seen, and especially in the insane asylum and religious institution, on an incident was forbidden, of course. So, they developed some devices to avoid that the children during the night can experience that kind of divertissement.

And this is a belt that was closed around the teenager that of course prevented any possibility for him to enjoy the night. But even worse was this device.

Maybe you can see it. It's a.

Ed Bailey (30:39.325) Oh, right, okay.

Alessandro (30:42.318) There are metal teeth, there is a ring, and it could be put on the male.

Ed Bailey (30:54.953) right yeah

Alessandro (30:55.71) the male penis and of course whenever during the night the sun dreams bring your attention of course these kind of spikes really avoid I avoid to go farther so this is called the spermato real this is the spermato real ring and it's in the catalogs the medical supply of the

Ed Bailey (31:08.373) Right, okay.

Ed Bailey (31:15.059) Whoa, that's...

Alessandro (31:25.526) of the period and is another device made to avoid this kind of activity. So it's of course tied to the mobility and the oppression due to religious beliefs of course.

Ed Bailey (31:36.173) That's it.

Ed Bailey (31:46.437) Yeah, yeah, that's, I've never seen anything like that, to be honest with you. That's, yeah, pretty,

Alessandro (31:55.814) Yeah, and just to close this area, a quick overview to this, that it's even never seen, because this was found in the room of a nun in an Italian monastery. So again, this is a belt that can be put around the waist of the nun.

Ed Bailey (32:13.281) Okay.

Ed Bailey (32:24.117) Yeah, yeah.

Alessandro (32:24.322) And I'm still studying this kind of piece, but it's like a sort of chilichum, because these chains are very, let me say, impactful. And this is covering the lower part of the body of the nun. And I think that there was more than a practical use, a sort of a symbolic value. So like a sort of...

Ed Bailey (32:48.449) Right.

Alessandro (32:52.71) I reinforce the concept of my virginity. Okay? So this is a very, very unusual, unusual stuff. Yeah.

Ed Bailey (32:57.86) Yes.

That's very... And these are all your private collection, these are Ali. None of these are for sale. All of the ones that you've shown. They're all your private collection, aren't they?

Alessandro (33:13.386) Yeah, at least at the moment, yes. Then I know that things find their way in some way.

Ed Bailey (33:19.681) can change. So also another question for you, is there any collectors and dealers out there that you sort of admire and like? You know, can you think of anybody in particular who you really sort of think, oh they've got some good stuff?

Alessandro (33:41.304) So, my preferred colleagues.

Ed Bailey (33:43.838) Yes, please, yes.

Alessandro (33:46.838) Yes, yeah sure there are many and the Instagram It's an amazing place of inspiration But since many years for instance obsolete You know Ray obsolete from California really taught me a lot about Let me say the The way you can see the items

the way you can display it, the taste in the selection. So I'm sure that there was a pioneer in my experience for that. So very, very recommended. In Paris, there is Evelyn Antiques. She has a passion for mannequins, and so for sure, it's like an event for me, the shop. Yes.

And of course, about folk art, the American dealers are the top. Since a couple of years, they run in New York an exceptional exhibition called Art Without Intent. There's also Adam, I remember, and other colleagues very specialized in this kind of art. And this is something very disruptive.

very disruptive, very innovative. So when you think about something new in that tick market, when you think that everything has been already discovered, for instance, folk art is something that, for instance, in Italy, no one takes care of it. In America, of course, they are far already very well into this topic, but in Italy, there are...

Ed Bailey (35:27.661) Why? Yeah.

Ed Bailey (35:32.237) Hmm.

Alessandro (35:39.054) not yet this kind of sensitivity about folk art. You can still find a lot of material, but no one cares about it.

Ed Bailey (35:49.745) Yeah, I think folk art's great because you get that story behind it because someone's done it and put that sort of energy into it So you really get a story behind it. So talking about obviously you say it's quite easy to find Those sort of pieces in um, italy And obviously that's why you can get some of the pieces that you get the folk art pieces. What? Where do you I don't want to give too much away. Obviously you've got specific people who and places you go, but

Where do you usually sort of source your items? Is it, in Italy, do you have like antiques fairs? Do you have markets? Or is it sort of private collectors? Or is it just all of them?

Alessandro (36:33.544) Well, yes, as you know, our items can pop up wherever, but for sure we are lucky enough to have plenty of flea markets. So on Sunday morning I get up very, very early to be there. And

You can you can choose every Sunday which kind of the market attended because in the surround that there are often at least two or three Interestingly markets where you can where you can look for a for ontix. Of course Quality is a little bit. No, it's decreasing in the in the in the recent years mainly due to Internet Nothing, nothing new because most of us

is proposing items on the internet and not on the Sunday, on the Sunday boot and at the flea market. But there are still a generation of traditional dealers that are not yet on the internet. So you can still enjoy a lot of good findings still on the field, let's say. But of course, rules are changing pretty fast. So better to explore all the potential options.

Ed Bailey (37:49.257) Yeah, yeah for sure. What's been your best find this year, Ali? So what have you, have you found anything good this year out at the flea markets?

Alessandro (37:50.071) Yeah.

Alessandro (37:58.466) Oh well, I'm in love with old puppets, old marionettes. So I recently found an amazing collection of old puppets. So yes, sometimes as soon as you complain about the low quality of flea markets, some things pop up that may change your idea, that give you a reason to get up early again. And so yes.

Ed Bailey (38:26.173) Yeah, that's the same for me. In England, we have our car boots and that's where people turn up and they unload their stuff and they open up their car boot and you look through the car, you know, the car boot, they have a table. And it's got, it used to be good, again, pre-internet, you could always find something and it used something worth going. And then it's became...

it's just sometimes you go and you find nothing and then you think oh I'm not doing this anymore and then that'll be that last time that you go and it was like this year I found the most amazing oil on board picture of birds like 19th century and then you know and it was just like incredible one-off piece yeah keep doing it basically you've got to be out there and you've got to sort of keep

Alessandro (39:16.062) Just keep going, just keep going

Ed Bailey (39:22.573) trying and doing it. And I think it's something that we all enjoy as collectors and dealers is also going out there and that hunt and sort of seeing people and finding that those treasures isn't it which is great. Well well Ali it's been great to have you on and thank you so much for um joining me on the podcast um for anybody out there just

Alessandro (39:37.23) That's it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, for sure.

Ed Bailey (39:52.077) know please go and if you don't already follow Ali he's nautilus underscore antiques and then also if you're in Italy and you happen to be listening or watching go and visit Ali whereabouts are you

Alessandro (40:05.39) For sure. Thank you. Thank you very much, Ed. For sure, I will wait for you in Turin for a coffee together.

Ed Bailey (40:13.637) Yes for sure that would be lovely. I mean you saying that there's flea markets every Sunday, it's made me think I'm going to be booking a ticket next year to Italy for sure Ali. So and yeah and definitely and I'd love to come and see your shop that would be absolutely amazing. But yeah thanks mate and thank you everybody who's tuned in and watched this on YouTube or Spotify. We're on all platforms and thank you very much Ali.

Alessandro (40:24.578) Brave.

Alessandro (40:42.148) Ciao, everybody.