The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection. Michelangelo

An antique is anything old with class. John Bartlett,  American writer and publisher

Art collecting has traditionally been the domain of wealthy individuals in search of rewards beyond the purely financial. James Surowiecki, American journalist

Great art collecting need not be based on a great fortune. Education, experience and eye are more important. Eugene V. Thaw, American art dealer and collector

Remember that the most valuable antiques are dear old friends. H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Style is about fun. True style is not about having a closet full of expensive and beautiful things - it is instead about knowing when, where, and how to utilize your collection. Nina Garcia, creative director of Elle

I was always fascinated, even as a child, by antiques and ancient times. I always felt I should have been born in the 17th or 18th century. They really had a big stone castle with authentic furniture. Margaret O'Brien, American film actress

The habit of collecting, of attachment to things, is an essential human trait. But Western civilization put collecting on a pedestal by inventing museums. Museums are about representing power. It could be the king's power or, later, people's power. Orhan Pamuk, Turkish novelist and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature