auction houses

Elizabeth Taylor fans have been flocking to eBay to pick up memorabilia since the movie star died last week, reportedly doubling prices for some merchandise. But are these collectibles worth the investment? Appraisers from Antiques Roadshow weigh in.

Christie's International says expects to have a better year in 2010 than it did in 2009. Yet there are degrees of recovery: Though the practice of guaranteeing minimum prices is poised to return, sellers won't see a swift return to the prices objects fetched at auction in 2007.

The 2008/2009 art market ended seven years of astonishing price inflation. By the end of 2008, contemporary art suffered a price decline of 27.1 percent, followed by another 4 percent drop in the first half of 2009, according to ArtPrice's new report, Contemporary Art Market: The ArtPrice Annual...