Dear Sir, I am writing to you hoping that you will answer a long-standing query of mine.

For some time now I have been asking many antique dealers how to go about learning about the antiques trade. I would specifically like to learn about paintings and furniture.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could direct me towards any jounrals, magazines, books that contain such data.

Yours faithfully,

N. Mangan

-- Neil Mangan (mangan@coventry.ac.uk), December 01, 1999

Answers

Dear Mr Mangan,

Please check out our Cover Story Archive here at www.thebee.com, located among the bars on the left hand side of Antiques and The Arts Weekly's home page. It contains a wealth of information on a variety of subjects, from which you can pick and choose and print out.

Please also make use of your local library's interlibrary loan dept. and computers, which will offer a multitude of titles. I suggest, for a good introduction to American antique furniture, Alice Winchester's marvelous "How to Know American Antiques," initially published in 1951 by Signet Key Books, The New American Library of World Literature, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y., 10019.

Best of luck to you. The possibilities for learning are endless, and indeed the learning never ends for anyone, even the experts.

-- Elizabeth Montgomery (liza@thebee.com), February 20, 2000.

The Denver Post has a section of their paper designated to reviewing websites. In a Sept. issue they said one of the best websites for people wanting to start an antique collection would be www.antiques- oronoco.com Maybe they could help you out.

-- (joborg@nebi.com), February 16, 2000.