I am putting items on my website which are also for sale in my B&M store.  I can't have the typical shopping cart where a customer who sees something they like can purchace it on the spot.  Since these items are mostly one of a kind (antiques) I must make sure they have not been sold first in the store.  I can't decide on the most customer friendly way to have them check on avilability, a quick email link with a pre-filled in subject line, or a form.  I am interested in opinions on which would appear more proffesional to the customer.

Personally, I'm a fan of the telephone especially with so many people having free long distance. Even better, if its in your budget, get a tollfree number. To me it lends credibility.

Otherwise, I think a form appears to users as paperwork i.e. it has to be processed in some way while email seems to be more of an instant communication. We all know the transmission is the same but to the unknowing, an email may seem like a more expeditious form of communication but it may not seem as professional.