Letters to the Editor

MADAM – The trade’s reaction to the Make Me A Dealer TV show (letters in ATG No 2368) have not been especially kind to the show.

MADAM – Further to the distortion of ivory figures by separate piano keys (News, ATG No 2364): surely they are further distorted by the 32 pieces in a chess set, 144 pieces in a Mahjong set, or indeed the 23 balls in an antique snooker set.

The art and antiques trade have a love-hate relationship with television shows depicting their career choice.

MADAM – May I make a plea, through your publication, for auction houses to be aware of the damage sticky lot labels can do to the delicate water gilding on the frames of paintings.

MADAM – Responding to your article in ATG No 2365 ('UK salerooms 'not aware' of new laws on deactivated firearms'), I felt compelled to write in.

MADAM – I refer to your article regarding the slight wrist-slap the Advertising Standards Authority gave Christie’s about notification of extra fees charged for services rendered (ATG No 2365).

MADAM – We have a once fine upright piano in our salerooms, sadly rejected now at three successive sales.

MADAM – A major new worldwide search has been launched to track down hundreds of original artworks by wildlife artist David Shepherd one year after his death.

An auctioneer from Dreweatts made the final of this year’s NAVA Propertymark Novice Auctioneer of the Year competition.

MADAM – It is with some interest and concern that I read in ATG No 2362 of the new restrictions being proposed to government by BADA on the trade in rhino horn.

MADAM – At your recent round table on charging for expertise, you raised the point about dealers publishing their profit margins (ATG No 2358).

MADAM – I am writing regarding a point made at your recent round table (ATG No 2358) on charging for expertise, regarding how auctioneers need to value the underbidder.

With summer out of the way we can’t even blame the newspaper ‘silly season’ for running this tweet by Richard Bromell from Charterhouse auction house in Sherborne… but it did make us smile.

MADAM – I reply to the letter from Louise Ravula and Jane Alexandra (ATG No 2359) on a number of points they made about the antiques industry's attitude to the forthcoming ivory ban.

The BBC’s decision to end the long-running Flog It! show after 17 years has been greeted with sadness by those involved and many viewers.

MADAM – It was unfair and misleading of Louise Ravula and Jane Alexandra, of Two Million Tusks, to identify the Alastair Gibson petition as “pro-ivory trade”.

MADAM – Could you please update us on the forthcoming ivory ban: if passed, does it become law that day or will the new rules apply later? Richard Gardiner, Chichester.

MADAM – I read with great interest your ‘The price is right’ report of the recent ATG round table, debating how to charge for expertise (ATG No 2358). I would like to respond to a question you posed as to whether dealers should have to justify their mark-up.

MADAM – The views expressed by your correspondents Louise Ravula and Jane Alexandra (ATG No 2359) cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged.

MADAM – I read with great interest your round table report (ATG No 2358). You asked us to continue the debate, so I write to you to make some observations.