Walton was one of the dominant Americana dealers from the 1940's until he died in 1985 and Wayne Pratt was his favorite picker.

"I always recommend them," said Albert Sack, an Americana dealer in Manhattan who is in his 80's.

"It was not stripped," said Albert Sack, the dean of the Americana dealers.

I consider myself an Americana dealer.

"There aren't as many Americana dealers as there used to be," Mr. Tillou said.

Americana dealers also did well at the Winter Antiques Show.

Benjamin Ginsburg, a top Americana dealer in New York, died in 1994.

He chose antiques in the Federal and neo-Classical styles, contemporary with the house, shopping for them at Manhattan's best Americana dealers.

Mark Schedlbauer, an Americana dealer from New Salem, Mass., said that "the economy might be coming back, but it's not back."

Albert Sack, dean of the Manhattan's Americana dealers, agreed.