SOME of the country’s leading fine art and antiques auctioneers are clearing the decks. Adam’s held an Attic Sale of antiques and collectibles on Wednesday at its St Stephen’s Green premises. Yet again, large crowds defied the prevailing mood of recession and 90 per cent of the 600 lots sold.

Managing director James O’Halloran said the event had attracted the broadest range of people he had seen at an auction for a long time including a surprising number of young bidders.

Mr O’Halloran believes that people are seeing good value at auctions and discovering that “you can buy an antique dining table for €300-€400 and you’d be hard-pressed to find one at that price in Ikea – and you’d have to put it together yourself”.

Mealy’s of Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, is holding its own Spring Interiors and Clearance Sale at 11.30am next Tuesday, February 22nd, and most of the 500 lots will be sold with no reserve. Viewing begins tomorrow, Sunday afternoon, from 2pm-5pm. The sale features 19th and 20th century furniture, paintings, prints, carpets and rugs, silver plateware, ceramics, glass, curios and collectibles

This is an ideal event for first-timers and offers a crash course in antiques. If you’ve ever wondered what, precisely, is a dumbwaiter (no, not the eejit who served you in the restaurant last night), or whatin God’s name a prie-dieu used for, then a trip to this saleroom is recommended. Collectors in the know, looking for a whatnot, a tallboy or a teapoy or a bonheur-du-jour might just find what they’ve been looking for.

Among the hundreds of items in the sale, a selection of alternative heating systems from yesteryear may attract interest from anyone shell-shocked by fuel bills after the harsh winter.

A brass bed-warmer is priced at just €10-€15; a foot-operated fire bellows on cast-iron legsis €50-€70; while the ultimate accessory for a home with a hearth, a walnut coal scuttle, is €150-€250.