Letters to the Editor

MADAM – Re: letters in ATG about sticky labels.

MADAM – Here is a medal whose origin I can’t figure out (above). It was found in northern Norway.

MADAM – Michael Roberts of PFK should not concern himself too much over a bit of “auction house bashing” (ATG No 2368).

MADAM – The first edition 1815 map of St Helena shown on Previews page 44 (ATG No 2367) is indeed very interesting.

MADAM – Once again we have an auctioneer defending an increased charge with various excuses given for the necessity (‘Auctioneer to charge for condition reports’, ATG No 2369).

The TEFAF decision to remove dealers from vetting at their shows has caused debate (ATG Nos 2367 & 2368). Here, silver dealer Alastair Dickenson writes to ATG giving his view, while we canvass opinion from four more experts.

MADAM – On the recommendation of a friend I watched a few of the new Make Me a Dealer programmes presented by Paul Martin (ATGs passim).

MADAM – I write this letter with three separate hats on but, in all three cases, addressed for the attention or our many auction houses.

MADAM – Re: ‘Sticky Problem’ letter in ATG No 2367.

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.

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.

In a letter to ATG, auctioneer Michael Roberts of PFK Penrith defends auction house commissions saying “the majority of regional firms offer a good service, fairly priced”.

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.

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

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

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