"The continuing rise of the property market and the projected forecast of a two per cent drop in interest rates during 1998, coupled with the large number of period houses which have changed hands over the past two years and which are now being restored, all augur well for antiques in the coming year.

I think we will see a strong demand for both decorative and functional antique furniture, paintings and objet d'art at all levels during 1998.

Young couples are realising that it is possible to find antiques at their price level which can gradually be traded up as time progresses. I think we will see growth in the medium levels as former collectors upgrade their collections due to the current strength of the fine art market, and certainly there is no shortage of clients for the finest pieces, which through scarcity and rarity will ensure price increases. With regard to collecting for investment during 1998 and for the forthcoming millennium; for those who wish to start a collection, late Victorian and Edwardian furniture is extremely affordable at present. Nineteenth century Irish furniture, ceramics, glass and late 19th and 20th century historical documents and literature should prove worthwhile.

Traditionally, antiques and fine art have always been a long-term prospect, generally five-to-10 years, and it must be noted that if one intends to form a serious collection for investment, it should be formed in a structured way, with professional advice and conform to certain criteria: quality, originality, rarity and possible provenance. The two main advantages of investing in antiques are the pleasure derived from admiring and being surrounded by beautiful things and the fact that these items are tangible assets.

Thankfully, the tradition of collecting antiques and fine art seems set to continue for the foreseeable future."