AUCTIONS

How many suites of late Victorian bedroom furniture - such as the stately, painted-pine "neo-Grecian" at Sotheby's, Friday (10.30am) - have been chopped up by post-war trendies?

Victorian furniture is fetching serious money, as proved by Sotheby's sale of contents of Stokesay Court, Shropshire, last October. The four- piece suite has a provenance: Sotheby's catalogue reproduces the original design from the pattern book of the Light brothers, City furniture makers in the 1880s. The breakfront wardrobe with crimson and ebonised stringing is est £4,000-£6,000, washstand £1,000-£1,500, dressing table £1,000-£2,000 and bedside cabinet £500-£700. Would fitted furniture of comparable quality be much cheaper?

The Old Masters market is feeling pretty full of itself since its effulgent performances in London and New York at Christmas and the New Year (Christie's London total, which included the Houghton sale, was a spectacular 93 per cent).

This week's minor Old Master sales should reflect the light. The under- £15,000 market is a safer bet than the luminous heights because there are no multi-million pound lots to topple. It did founder when Italian dealers ran out of funny money to convert into suffering saints, but now that they are tiptoeing back sale totals are once more regularly topping 70 per cent.

The Americans are venturing back, too. They go for northern pictures - Dutch views, style of Rembrandt, French rococo, which are well represented this week. Venetian views remain in favour but those dark, lachrymose religious scenes, no longer able to melt the hearts of unscrupulous Italians, are scarcely to be seen.

Sales: Phillips, Tuesday (11am): Christie's South Kensington, Thursday (10.30am): Christie's, Friday (11am).

Best of the rest: collectable cars and automobilia by Brooks, Olympia 2, Hammersmith Road, London, Tuesday (3pm). English, Continental and early oak furniture, Phillips, Tuesday (11am). More furniture and fireplace implements, Christie's South Kensington, Wednesday (10.30am). Arms and armour, Bonhams, Monday (2pm).

COUNTRYWIDE

Clare: 478-lot furniture, pictures and curio sale including 10 19th-century pedestal desks, part of the original furnishings of Girton College, Cambridge, in 1879, Wednesday (10.30am) at the town hall. Boardman (01440 730414).

Bishop's Stortford: Victorian, Georgian and Regency furniture removed from Quendon Court House, Essex, Wednesday (10.30am). Sworder & Sons, 15 Northgate End (01279-651388).

Nantwich: Victorian and Edwardian furniture, Cadbury display cabinet, Wednesday (10.30am) followed Thursday (10.30am) by fine art, antiques, including a Noke and Nixon Doulton jade vase of 1936. Peter Wilson, Victoria Gallery, Market Street (01270 623878).

Hull: 200 lots of new fishing tackle, Thursday (6pm): The Edwardian Auction Galleries, Wiltshire Road. Gilbert Baitson (01482 500500).

Ilkeston: Cosmetics, perfume, household goods at Kensington Park, Hallam Fields Road, Thursday (10am) followed by golf equipment (6.30pm). BDI (0602 442022).

Norwich: Rugs, carpets, telephones, photographic equipment, Wednesday (10am). Aylsham Salerooms, Falmers Lane, Aylsham (01263 733195).

FAIRS

Harrogate Antique and Fine Art, Royal Baths, Thursday-Sunday (Louise Walker 01823 323363).

Sandown Park Racecourse Antiques, Tuesday (Wonder Whistle 0171-249 4050).

Avington Park Antiques, near Alresford, next Friday-Sunday (Galloway Antique Fairs 01423 324602).

Countrywide: Antiques Trade Gazette (071-930 4957), Government Auction News (071-928 9001, hotline 0891 887700)

The Collecting page will return next week