Look at the list of “What’s on offer” at the auction. Each item seems to link to something else in the game.

Clue 2
Have you spotted any matching items? For example, “Every purchase includes a certified condition report” could relate to the Conditions Report puzzle.

Match each item from the list to the puzzle it relates to in order to work out the correct order of play.

Have you noticed that some words stand out more than the others?

Among these highlighted words, are there any that seem different or unique?

Take the unique word from each description and see what message they spell out.

In the description of each item, there are several capitalised words. Most of these capitalised words share a connection, apart from one unique word in each description. Take the one unique word from every description and put them together. This spells out: “Use first letter second sentences.” Follow this instruction by taking the first letter of each second sentence, which spells out FORTY. The answer is 40.

The label for the Sapphire Silver Bracelet is marked only as XXX.

All the other jewellery items have three-digit codes. Use these to help identify the missing number for the bracelet.

The first number represents the metal, the second number represents the type of jewellery, and the third number represents the gemstone.

Use the other jewellery codes to work out the missing number for the Sapphire Silver Bracelet. The first digit represents the type of metal, the second digit represents the type of jewellery, and the third digit represents the gemstone. Using this logic, the bracelet’s code becomes 075. The answer is 75.

On the back it says, “Find your seat for the big night.” Look at the Christmas trees - they are arranged like the seats on the front of the poster.

The pink trees show you which seats to find on the front of the poster. Look at the auction paddle numbers for those seats.

The big list highlights 1A, 2B, 3C. Can you use this to change the numbers into letters?

On the back of the poster it says, “Find your seat for the big night.” The Christmas trees are arranged in the exact same layout as the seats on the front of the poster. Look at the trees highlighted in pink - these show you which seats to find on the front. Find the auction paddle numbers for those seats, which are 6, 15, 18, 20, and 25. Then look at the big list on the poster and notice the highlighted examples: 1A, 2B, 3C, and 4D. This shows that each number corresponds to its matching letter in the alphabet. Convert the numbers into letters: 6 = F, 15 = O, 18 = R, 20 = T, and 25 = Y. These spell FORTY, so the answer is 40.

This is an invitation to the Amazing Antiques Auction. Can you find another piece from the same event?

To solve this puzzle, you will also need the Sold Lots Register from the Amazing Antiques Auction.

You will need another item to solve this puzzle - the bauble.

Are there any patterns or shapes on the bauble that match the stamps on the Sold Lots Register?

There are two stamps on the register, and parts of both of them appear on the bauble.

Align each stamp with the matching section on the bauble. What numbers does the bauble point to?

Part of the purple SOLD stamp appears on the bauble. Align the pattern on the bauble to the stamp on the sold lots record and the bauble points to the number 8. Next, part of the green COLLECTED stamp also appears on the bauble. Align these sections and the bauble points to the number 3. At the top of the register it says “All sold items will then need to be collected”, which shows the correct order of the numbers: SOLD then COLLECTED. The answer is 83.

The Cardiff to Dublin leg has already been drawn onto the map. This could help show you how to plot the other routes.

Reconstruct both routes on the map and look for the two stops where the missing journey should go.

Each location has a number. Once you have found the two stops for the missing journey find their location numbers.

When the routes are completed, Route 1 is: London – Manchester – Newcastle – Leeds – Norwich – London. Route 2 is: London – Portsmouth – ? – Cardiff – Dublin – Belfast – Manchester – London. The missing journey is from Portsmouth to Cardiff. Look at the numbers for these two locations: Portsmouth is 5 and Cardiff is 8. This makes 58, so the answer is 58.

Scan the QR code and look carefully at each group of paintings. In every group, only one painting is the original.

Every forgery has one unique difference that does not appear in the others.

Once you have found each original, work out how long it was missing for.

Return to the business card - there’s an equation that will help you get to the final answer.

Scan the QR code and go to the website. There are three groups of paintings, each containing five forgeries and one original. You are also told when each original was lost, so you need to identify the original painting in each group, find when it was recovered, and work out how many years it was missing. In Case 1 (the vase painting), the forgeries have the following differences: a blue flower, a darker-coloured pot, a missing yellow flower, a different-coloured ribbon, and a shortened orange ribbon. This means the fourth image is the original. It was recovered in 2018, so it had been missing for 20 years. In Case 2 (the portrait), the forgeries contain added birds, extra trees in the background, an incorrect colour tone, a pipe instead of a cigarette, and missing lily pads. This makes the fifth image the original. It was recovered in 2005, so it had been missing for 5 years. In Case 3 (the bird painting), the forgeries include added birds, an extra leaf, an extra seed head, a flower on the hat, and a missing leaf. This means the third image is the original. It was recovered in 2004, so it had been missing for 17 years. Finally, return to the business card and look at the equation beneath the QR code: square + rectangle − circle. Match each original painting to its shape and substitute the number of years it was missing: 17 + 20 − 5 = 32. The answer is 32.

“Every POINT in time matters.” Look closely at the labels for each auction item.

Each item label is a shape with a different number of points, ranging from 1–6.

The Classification Index labels the eras from 1–6. Match the number of points on each shape to the correct era number.

Look carefully at the RAREST items. Which items are described as the rarest?

When completed, the timeline is: I – Roman Bronze Statue, II – Greek Aphrodite Sculpture, III – Ancient Greek Coin, IV – Egyptian Pottery, V – Egyptian Sarcophagus, VI – Egyptian Papyrus Scroll. The rarest items are: “Exclusive Find”, “Only 2 recovered”, and “Only 3 still intact.” Adding together their estimated values gives a total of 70. The answer is 70.

Look carefully at the organisational structure. As Associate Catalogue Specialist, she will need to communicate with the Head of Marketing and the Director of Item Evaluation.

The company wants efficient communication. What would be the quickest route through the organisational structure?

Try drawing the most efficient communication routes onto the diagram.

Draw the quickest communication routes onto the organisational structure diagram. The first route is: Associate Catalogue Specialist → Security Analyst → Manager of Curation → Junior Catalogue Manager → Executive Assistant 1 → Director of Item Evaluation. When drawn, this route forms the number 2. The second route is: Associate Catalogue Specialist → Junior Marketing Manager → Director of Marketing → Executive Assistant 2 → CEO → Head of Marketing. When drawn, this route forms the number 3. The answer is 23.

There is another item needed to solve this puzzle. Look for the security employees - they are the people who watch the vault.

Compare each security employee’s expected hours with their actual hours. How much have their hours increased or decreased?

Use the differences in hours as instructions for the vault. A decrease means spin left, and an increase means spin right.

Complete the daily timesheet by working out the difference between each security employee’s expected hours and actual hours. These increases and decreases tell you how to spin the vault: decreases spin left and increases spin right. Make sure you start by lining up the red START text with the red 1 on the vault. For Monday, spin 6 times left, 5 times right, then 1 time left. This finishes on the number 3, giving the first digit. Then reset the vault back to the start and repeat the process for Tuesday. Spin 4 times right, 5 times right, then 3 times left. This finishes on the number 5. Combining the two digits gives 35, so the answer is 35.