Now is the time to pick up an antique furniture bargain

Armed with €100 or €200, you can come away from an auction with furniture that would once have cost far more

This carved oak Georgian dropleaf Sutherland table is lot 107 at O'Donovan's online sale in Newcastlewest, Co Limerick.

The market for what is sometimes dismissively described as "brown furniture" has all but collapsed. 

There is a market for the best pieces but such is the lack of interest in day-to-day antique furniture lots at auction, often in need of a bit of tender loving care, that it almost seems as if it is given away.