so Deco material and Arts and Crafts were quite cheap and there was a lot around," says Mr Wright. "Then people start buying, the price goes up, people say it's in fashion, so it spirals. As soon as prices reach a prohibitive level, then fashion will move on."According to the index, while the best investments included dining tables and chairs from all periods, there were exceptions, such as Victorian balloon-backed chairs. These have dropped in value, possibly due to modern over-reproduction at low prices.Other pieces to have lost value include sloping fall-front writing bureaux, which may have declined due to increasing ownership of computer equipment, which favours pedestal desks and larger tables.So far this year, the humble Welsh dresser has been fetching exceptional prices.

An oak dresser was sold in Mold, Flintshire, for £46,000, after spending more than 100 years in the house of the farmer who had it made.Even if it is not worth a fortune, good-quality antique furniture should prove a better investment than its modern counterpart: "If you're a first-time buyer, you can often find good antique furniture for under £1,000, which may be a lot cheaper than buying modern from a warehouse," Mr Wright said. "It should also retain its value, whereas second-hand furniture that is modern and machine-made is going to have a resale value that is negligible."However, well-made, original pieces by today's designers,says Mr Wright, may become the sought-after antiques of the future.But the modern buyer is unlikely to see the same return on his or her investment. Mr Andrews notes that dealers - a traditional source of "bargains" - have largely been displaced by major auction houses, and novice buyers by the well-informed. "Antiques Roadshow and shows like it have left everyone feeling that there's a fortune in the attic," he says.. ISAs have just celebrated their first birthday and congratulations should be in order. While stocks and shares ISAs gained most of the publicity, cash ISAs have proved a quiet success By December 1999, they had attracted £8.6 billion. ISAs have just celebrated their first birthday and congratulations should be in order.

While stocks and shares ISAs gained most of the publicity, cash ISAs have proved a quiet success. By December 1999, they had attracted £8.6 billion. Cash ISAs offer the safety and security of a building society deposit account, but allow you to take the interest free of income tax. They are provided by banks, building societies and National Savings and are most suitable for cautious investors.But falling foul of ISA rules is easy. A mistake made last year by many investors - thought to be more than 50,000 - was to open a mini-cash ISA account only to discover that this slashed the amount they could invest in stocks and shares. "As soon as you put even £1 in a mini-cash ISA you cut the amount you can invest in stocks and shares from £7,000 to £3,000," says Justin Modray, investment adviser with Chase de Vere.There are two types of ISA.

Mini ISAs allow you to invest up to £3,000 each year in stocks and shares, up to £3,000 in cash and up to £1,000 in life insurance in any tax year You can buy each component from a different ISA manager. Maxi ISAs allow you to invest your full £7,000 annual allowance in stocks and shares. Alternatively you can invest up to £3,000 in shares, up to £3,000 in cash and £1,000 in insurance All must be bought from the same manager. You cannot buy a mini ISA and maxi ISA in the same tax year.Many savers wrongly think you have to tie your money up in a cash ISA for a set period, says Bhavesh Amlani, director of Simple Savings "With most accounts you can withdraw it whenever you want.