CONSUMMATE
COLLECTORS
TERRY AND RALPH KOVEL, AUTHORS OF
44 BOOKS, ARE THE TOP EXPERTS IN
THE ANTIQUES-COLLECTIBLES FIELD.
BY BARBARA PASH
58
HOME
emember Grandma's din-
ing room table you inher-
ited? The one you thought
was so ugly you couldn't
wait to get rid of it? Or how about
the. 1950's modern plastic and
aluminum living room set you con-
sidered as outdated as poodle
skirts and crinolines? Guess what?
They're all back — only this time,
the furniture is worth a fortune.
How do you know what to save
and what to sell? How do you tell
the gold from the dross? Ask
Ralph and Terry Kovel, names in-
stantly recognizable to antiques
dealers, auction-goers, flea market
afficionados and just plain anyone
who collects anything.
"We're consumer advocates,"
says Ralph Kovel, an engaging
man who looks to be in his
mid-50's. "We write for the
average collector, beginner and
beyond. We don't write for
museums, they don't need us."
Adds Terry Kovel, an elegant
woman with a wry style, "We make
no quality judgments. If people