Tom Keane (Director)

Tom Keane is a co-owner of Chiswick Auctions and is well-known as an antiques expert and auctioneer television personality; you may have seen him on Storage Hoarders and Cash in the Attic.

Tom found his interest in antiques in 1989. This happened after he had an accident that found him in a wheelchair for two years. A friend of his drove him to Garrett Lane General Auction Co., where a bailiff auction was taking place. This was during the time of the poll tax riots and repossession auctions were held. Microwaves were expensive in the shops but his first purchase was bought for £18 and a video recorder for £40 craftily he sold them with an £80 profit and that’s when he decided he could make this his new way of making a living and change his career. Tom went to every auction from then on to study form along with reading books and going to antique fairs. Nowadays his main interest is in furniture but when asked to be specific he replies “… from Elizabeth to Elizabeth.”

Tom owned Middlesex Auction Rooms when he merged with Chiswick Auctions in 2001. Finally in 2008 he bought the rest of Chiswick Auctions with William Rouse friends for 20 years they became joint co-owners.

The first auction he held at Chiswick Auctions he was filmed auctioneering for the first episode of Cash in the Attic in January 2002 he then continued working with Leopard Films as an antique expert and advisor behind the scenes.

Tom has continued having the film companies use Chiswick Auctions as a platform for the programmes and it is also nice to be recognised within the antiques industry for his hard work.

Tom says “I love the antique trade and the people you meet within it. I still work 24/7 with the passion that I had in 1989. That’s 24 years and I still look forward to going to ‘Chiswick Auctions’ every day!”