MAIN Recreation Antiques

Antiques are loved and cherished for many different reasons. Many older pieces of furniture and other collectibles were handcrafted with an art that machines cannot duplicate. Antiques also open a window into the past that brings beauty and history together in our everyday lives.

Auto buffs love looking at the shine of a lovingly cared-for classic car. Homeowners may be most keen to find a room focal point in the form of framed art or chandeliers for their dens or living rooms.

Antique collectors, no matter what they focus on, have in common the enjoyment of small pieces of the past functioning in today's world.

If you think window shopping for antiques is half the fun, indulge yourself at the following sites in our guide to the best (and best looking) sites for finding antiques, memorabilia and collectibles worldwide ...

Antiques Bulletin Online - Nicely organized and easily navigable site to a world of antiques-related info including auctions, fairs, dealers, services, markets, books and publications.

Antiques and the Arts Online - The cyber edition of the newspaper serving the trade and the serious antiquer, with feature articles, a searchable database of antiques dealers and auctioneers, online forum, free newsletter and more.

Antiques Web UK - Comprehensive British antiques information featuring a searchable database of upcoming fairs, lists of centers and dealers by region, messageboard and a free newsletter.

BBC - Antiques - The full treatment as only the Beeb can do it, with links to the popular Antiques Road Show, as well as feature articles and buying guides, together with a searchable database of local UK antiques fairs, auctions and more.

Antiques and Art Australia - Check out a virtual gallery of art and antiques, or search antique dealers and galleries nationwide, with more links to services, trade associations, antique fairs, and a currency converter for international visitors.

Syndicat National des Antiquaires - Paris-based national association of antique dealers offering a database, searchable by keyword or category, to hundreds of antique dealers and galleries across France. In French and English.

Decorative Arts/Antiques Index - Top-of-the-line dealers in New York, Paris, London, Hong Kong and more in an elegantly simple A-Z directory from ArtNet.

Manhattan Art & Antiques Center - A handsome layout leads visitors to an alphabetical listing of every major New York antique dealer, or cross-searchable by category.

also see -> Collecting