A pair of George III-period card tables was one of the leading lots at Bonhams' Period Design auction on July 10.

The late period mahogany and satinwood tables were among several items up for auction from The Shelleys hotel, the former Sussex, UK home of Romantic poet Percy Shelley.

A good result for entry-level George III antique furntiture

The D-shaped cross banded tables sold exactly on their £5,000 estimate, an indication that the entry-level end of the George III furniture market remains in solid, if unspectacular form.

It's at the top end of the antique furniture sector where the biggest moves are being made: a £175,250 mid to late 18th century John Cobb serpentine commode beat its estimate by 46% at Bonhams in June.

"The furniture market has become a trophy market," Peter Horwood, a furniture expert at Christie's, recently told Apollo magazine.

"People are more inclined to have one really good piece as a talking point than a 19th century dining room."

You can capitalise on this trend today by investing in these superb top-end pieces of English furniture, including a John Linnell George III antique cabinet.

A Chinese 19th century display cabinet was the biggest money spinner at the auction, selling for £18,750.

The sale of the black lacquer hardwood and gilt decorated specimen is a further example, if one were needed, of the power of Chinese antique collectibles at auction.

According to Barclays' Wealth Insights report, collectibles comprise 16.6% of Chinese high-net worth individuals' wealth, far higher than the 10% average - and art and antiques from their homeland are leading the way.

China's share of global art sales rose to 30% last year, up from 23% in 2010, states a European Fine Art Foundation report.