[Daniel Silk]

www.artinfo.com/news/story/32597/british-auction-houses-to-link-up/

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/artsales/6192422/Art-Market-News.html

"Two of Britain’s second- tier auctioneers have announced a strategic alliance that would make them, combined, one of the largest UK auctioneers. Bloomsbury Auctions, which specialises in books and works on paper, has branches in London, New York and Rome, and achieved £23 million of sales last year. Dreweatts has five regional auction rooms in the UK and notched up £16 million of sales in 2008."

[Pattycakes]

One of Bloomsbury's top departments is 20th Century prints, who will provide Dreweatts some very much needed assistance in that area. Expect new sales in 2010, particularly with an Urban theme.

[wizzy]

Is this amalgamation facilitated by the economic needs of one or both companies?, good to see Dreweatts interest in Urban sales rekindled due to the success of the Banksy show.

"Stocklight, said that he will be kick-starting Dreweatts’ re-entry into the urban art market after witnessing the enormous interest in the Banksy exhibition at Bristol City Art Gallery."

[Pattycakes]

Possibly, yes, though also I suspect because both companies specialise in particular fields and by combining they will be able to compete for bigger collections