Among those showing is Mitofsky Antiques, which will display a walnut bedroom suite made in Paris between 1922 and 1924; Joanne Pietroski from London, who specialises in 19th century French and English gilt mirrors; Wolfenden Antiques from Antrim, whose 19th century mahogany, rosewood and walnut furniture includes small tables, tea poys, chairs and desks; and Courtville Antiques, which will have items perfect for Mother's and Father's Day, including an Austrian 18ct gold, amethyst and diamond tie pin in its original case for 1,395 and a collection of pretty antique and Art Deco rings, pendants and pearl chokers.

Louis O'Sullivan further brightens up the fair by introducing interesting lecturers to provide some diversion between the browsing and buying. This year he brings Judith Miller of Antiques Price Guide fame to the RDS, where on 25 March she will give two talks: 'The State of the Antiques Market' (noon), and 'A Collector's Journey from 18th Century Blue and White Ceramics to 20th Century Glass' ( 2pm).

Miller has been a collector since the 1960s when she was studying at Edinburgh University. In 1979 she was a cofounder of the international bestseller Miller's Antiques Price Guide, of which she was publisher until 1990. She has written more than 100 books, all of which are held in high regard by collectors and dealers alike, and she has just brought out the new edition of the Antiques Price Guide.

This edition covers all aspects of the market and provides up-to-date valuations based on real prices fetched at auction.

The value of the guide is in its full-colour photographs coupled with prices, dates, sizes and often identifying maker's marks, which allow for instant, accurate identification.

While outlining in detail the state of the antiques market, Miller also shows you how to anticipate market trends and spot the all-important tell-tale signs of a fake. The book promises to answer the two most frequently asked questions: 'What is it?' and 'What's it worth?'

Miller's fans can also look forward to her new book, Tribal Art, which will be published in April. She is convinced, she says, that "tribal art is hot", and her book is "the definitive guide for tribal art enthusiasts and collectors".

The book traces a path across the world, featuring artistically important countries and regions from Sierra Leone to Angola, from Australia to the Solomon Islands and from the Artic to the Andes, and gives an insight into their art, lifestyles, beliefs and ceremonies.

From decorative shields and ornate statues to beautifully crafted everyday objects such as cooking utensils and chairs, the books tells the stories behind the artworks and the cultures that produced them.

>> 24-26 March: The 7th Irish International Antiques & Contemporary Art Fair, Main Hall, RDS, Dublin. 25 March: Judith Miller Lectures: 'The State of the Antiques Market' (12 noon), and 'A Collector's Journey, from 18th Century Blue and White Ceramics to 20th Century Glass' ( 2pm) at the Main Hall, RDS, Dublin 4 >> 'Antiques Price Guide 2006' by Judith Miller is published by Dorling Kindersley, price /35 >> 'Tribal Art' by Judith Miller to be published in April by Dorling Kindersley, price /30

WHY BOTHER WITH RESERVES?

IT HAS to be an exciting profession for dealer and auctioneer alike when everything is in the lap of the gods and they just never really know what an item is going to fetch.

For instance, George Kidner, a UK auctioneer in Hampshire, had an oil painting, 'Flood Reflections' by Kenneth Webb, for sale. Its estimate was £2,500 to £3,500 and it sold at auction to a London dealer for £4,800 ( 7,700 approx).

The dealer brought it to Garret O'Connor's recent sale at the Radisson Hotel in Dublin, where O'Connor upped the ante and entered it with an estimate of 12,000 to 18,000.

The painting sold for 25,000 . . . more than three times what the dealer paid for it in sterling. And so a tidy pro"t was made.

Kenneth Webb came all the way from Connemara, and was full of nostalgia, to see the picture (if only brie"y) which he had painted in the 1960s as part of his thorn series and of which he had long lost sight.

He was further delighted to see that Mullen's sale last Sunday in Laurel Park, Bray, featured paintings from his bog and wild flower series of the '70s, including 'Buttercups', which had a lower estimate of 7,000 and sold for 11,200.

At the same sale a Maurice Canning Wilks painting, 'Clouds from the Atlantic, Ballyconnelly, Co Galway', with a lower estimate of 6,200, almost doubled its price when it sold for 12,000.

But when it came to prices going way above the estimates, Adam's on Stephen's Green topped the bill. It was expected that the George IV marble chimneypiece would be the winner of its sale last week, but it just reached its estimate of 85,000.

The surprise of the sale was the George IV oak post box from the collection of interior designer Basil Collins, which exceeded all expectations by fetching a whopping 11,500 from its lower reserve of 1,000.

>> AUCTION RESULTS
Garrett O'Connor: 'Reflections' by Kenneth Webb, estimate 12,000 - 18,000, sold for 25,000 Mullens: 'Clouds from the Atlantic, Ballyconneely, Co Galway' by Maurice Canning Wilks, estimate 6,000- 8,000, sold for 12,000.

Adam's: A George IV oak post box, estimate 1,000- 1500, sold for 11,500