Especially when we're talking about the great New York City!
Home of the NY stock exchange and the accustomed rudeness of passerby, you would be amazed to find it a world emerged in the art culture.
First before I further myself, please excuse me for not posting the past week as I have been busy running quite the many errands, but today I will post five updates to cover a wide variety of subjects which can and might bring insight to the few readers (or the many I am unaware of) .
As promised today I will cover the base of auction houses and my personal experience with them.
Many of the older art appraisers there are very undiplomatic and quite snobby if I may add! They are willing and quite proud of shoving their expertise down your throat! For instance, I had the unfortunate opportunity to run in with quite the nitwit at Christies, a auction house who's reputation I used to highly uphold until I met fellow. This "expert" looked at a painting of mine by Paul Ellie Ranson a year ago. Now this was quite an unusual piece as Paul Ellie Ranson was more of a mystical painter, but then again artist do cross boundaries from time to time. It's what gives us this appreciation for them, their openness to explore world beyond or locked within a subject. This painting was a watercolor that was gilded and signed Ranson depicting a oriental woman garbed in an astonishing costume. As I met with this expert "David" he looked at my painting and decided to conduct research on the piece and promised to keep contact with me. Every three months I would call and ask whether there was any information on the piece to which I was replied "No" or "Let me get back to you". Now I may not be quite the rich upperclassmen or a world renowned art expert (at least at the time) that they would feel a need to cater to me as a priority, but for the love of G-d, why would someone take a whole year to research a painting?! I finally, being fed up, arrived at Christies with my receipt and asked about my painting and why it was taking so long to research it, and was met by many excuses and apologies and to come a few days later when the expert would finally be there. As I did so, I finally got to be reunited with the painting and went into the room with the expert to finally receive the information on it. Now please note that this same "expert" wrote Paul Ellie Ranson" on the receipt as well. As we were in the room he went to a few auction websites and turned to me and said that this was not Paul Ellie Ranson. Shocked and appalled at why the sudden change of heart and why after a whole year it took him several computer clicks to give me the information about the painting. He claimed it to be a different Ranson and showed me a signature that was different from the one on mine. Naive and convinced I left back with a heavy heart. He did it with no diplomacy, as though my business was a mundane chore. Once arriving at the store with my painting, I decided to do my own research. After countless hours searching, and looking through Paul Ellie Ranson's many mystical different subject paintings, I stumbled upon a Christies past lot sale. Disappointed, I saw a painting sold at auction with the similar subject, same signature as mine and listed as Paul Ellie Ranson.
His lack of patience, his lack of skill, and his lack of compassion, angered me greatly, these auction houses have a huge disadvantage to them. If your painting does not have provenance or is part of a large expensive estate, or any distinguishing mark they are likely to turn you down. Yet dont let one bad experience turn you away! Some of these experts are great people, its just for every 3 bad ones theres a good one, so play the roulette its worth because there are advantages to these auction houses in which I do praise, and is the only reasons I still go to Christies, Sothebys, Bonhams, Swan, and William Doyle! For instance, the learning experience you get from the exhibitions and previews they do before the items are displayed at auction, and the true experts, the ones who are willing to teach with the passion they have savored from their job, and the young-lings who are still fresh with enthusiasm and wish to share their knowledge with the world. When I went to Sothebys I was greeted by the photography department expert there, who sat and printed out information for me, and even recommended me to other auction houses (still she made a little error on the auction records as he is estimated quite higher, but opinion and research differ from person to person). There was an expert at Christies who helped me achieve contact with all the departments I needed to contact, and was quite helpful to me as well in making sure I got the right information for my item from the experts. Sotheby's Vice President of the Chinese department helped me learn bout my Jue (chinese ritual wine cup) and gave me a starting point on my road to learning Chinese patterns. Its these little meetings with these people that give me hope and add on to my knowledge in this business!
To add on to the advantages, you as well save yourself a headache of research, especially if your looking to sell an estate or item you own or have inherited. Research on even the single item can take hours and its always great for someone who can help (please remember I am willing to do it for you and for free, email is antiquesfrombeyond@yahoo.com, just for the learning experience). Yet just like Manhattan brokers there is always a cost and auction houses have high premiums, so sometimes its just not worth it, unless its really a valuable item. Ive seen items burn at auction for extremely low prices, and its quite sad really, so if your in it for visibility, you will recieve it but sometimes or most times, some items sell better on eBay then on Christies.
My dream is to open an auction house that cats fairly to both the high class and lower class, not one seeking the money (but definitely making it!), but one seeking an equal opportunity for everyone to sell, both to private buyers and both worldwide and local auctions! Yet that dream is pretty far, Im just on the baby steps on this road of mine
If you have any question feel free to shoot me an email antiquesfrombeyond@yahoo.com
And as always check my ebay store here: eBay
And as always thank you so much for viewing my blog and spread the word!
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