Letters to the Editor

MADAM – I am writing to ATG following your militaria special (ATG No 2305) to tell you about The Trench Experience, a registered educational charity which uses the Artists’ Rifles regiment to illustrate what happened in the trenches during the First World War.

MADAM – Some would say ‘at long last’… Auctioneers throughout the country have started to take Boningtons’ lead and withdraw the two weeks – or, in some cases, 30 days – credit traditionally offered to many silver and furniture dealers in exchange for their regular attendance at sales.

MADAM – I read with dismay your correspondent’s letter criticising ATG’s coverage of the latest series of the BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' programme.

MADAM – On reading ATG’s London Summer Capital of Art (ATG No 2294) I was amazed that your writer didn’t seem to know the difference between a bracelet and a bangle.

MADAM – I’m glad ATG enjoys the BBC’s Fake or Fortune? programme so much to give it front page coverage plus a double-page spread in ATG No 2304.

MADAM – Regarding ATG’s coverage of the threat of closure to the Poole Pottery Studio (ATG No 2304 and antiquestradegazette.com), I feel it is imperative that some element of the production stays in Poole.

MADAM – I don’t know if your readers are aware but the future of Poole Pottery Studio in Poole is in danger as the lease is up on the building in which it operates.

MADAM – It would be my submission that had Jeremy Taylor conducted the same survey of attitudes to a merger between the BADA and LAPADA at Masterpiece rather than Olympia, the result in favour of merger would have been entirely different (ATG No 2302).

MADAM – I write regarding the ban on passing on the cost of credit card transaction fees in our credit (debt)-obsessed society (ATG No 2302).

MADAM – Our estimate (£2000-4000) for Drummond’s Death of Nelson did indeed prove to be conservative but not quite as dismissive as the ‘£100-150’ quoted in the ATG might suggest (Bid Barometer, ATG No 2302).

MADAM – I read with great interest Roland Arkell’s feature on collecting work by the Martin Brothers (ATG No 2226). Roland cites three exhibitions which he states are “landmarks” but leaves out perhaps the most important.

MADAM – What a refreshing letter from James Dillon at The Visage Gallery, being enquiring, intelligent and delivered in a professional manner (ATG No 2301). Thought goes into writing a letter, unlike a knee-jerk social media comment.

MADAM – I’m writing regarding two of your most recent Soapbox opinion columns.

MADAM – I am proud to admit that I am successfully even more old fashioned than James Dillon (Letters, ATG No 2301), who does not make online payments for purchases.

MADAM – Further to my letter earlier this year, despite several interesting subsequent observations on the subject that you very kindly published, nothing apparently seems to be happening.

MADAM – I enclose a picture of a mid-18th century brass candelabra (see below).

MADAM – Payments to auctioneers, be it for objects or postage and packing, seem to be mired in mystery and confusion.

MADAM – All of us who have been involved in the trade for a number of years, perhaps even decades, will know the feeling of pleasure at unexpectedly seeing an image of an ‘old friend’ in the pages of the ATG.

MADAM – Your most recent 'Soapbox' debated an interesting topic that’s currently generating letters, namely should auctioneers be qualified and presumably a member of a trade organisation or not (ATG No 2298).

MADAM – May we add our voice to the letters in ATG Nos 2296 and 2297 on the subject of fair sizes?