Article: Antique arms and armour: 2003 and 2004 saw collectors and dealers acquiring good-quality material in good condition, auction houses achieving steady prices, with some surprises, and museums making carefully selected purchases.

Arguing that antique arms and armour have a valid place in the fine and decorative arts is often regarded as sophistry. In the commercial arts world, arms and armour have a place less affected by fashion than other antiques. The market in 2003 and 2004 shows that certain truisms apply to arms and armour just as they do to other antiques: quality items always sell well; high quality research and cataloguing pay dividends; good condition is essential; over-hyped auctions generally fail; excessive auction estimates deter buyers; provenance is important; little escapes the internet.

In 2003-2004, the market continued steady and was largely unaffected by currency ...

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