WHAT FOR , SOME MIGHT ASK!!
THIS WAS A BARGAIN ALERT FROM US!!
I HAVE MANY STORIES TO TELL ABOUT VISITING AUCTIONS IN THE PAST AND WHAT TREASURES WERE HIDDEN THERE. I WILL COME TO THOSE MAJOR EVENTS AT SOME OTHER POINT BUT TODAY I AM GOING TO WRITE ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES IN SMALL, LOCAL AUCTION THAT MIGHT PROVE GREAT INVESTMENTS IN THE LONG RUN.
I STARTED BUYING ART WITH A TENNER AND TWENTY POUND NOTE IN 1983. THAT WAS THE MONEY I HAD, THE MONEY I USED AND THE MONEY THAT LED ME TO THE FIRST REAL BARGAIN. A SEVENTY-FIVE POUND INVESTMENT AT SOTHEBYS, LONDON, TURNED INTO AN 1800 POUNDS NET RETURN IN TWO YEARS TIME.
VISIT AUCTIONS, BUY WHAT YOU LIKE AND WORRY NOT ABOUT SMALL MONEY!!
IN THE 1980S A FEW POUNDS WERE BIG MONEY FOR SOMEBODY RAISING A FAMILY, ONE MEMBER IN THE FAMILY EARNER AND TRYING TO SURVIVE AS A NEW ARRIVAL IN BRITAIN. I WORKED HARD , I WORKED IN TWO OR THREE JOBS AND A FREE LANCE ONE; FINE ART DEALING. I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT ART PRICES AND ARTISTS BUT I WAS DETERMINED TO LEARN FAST.
TODAY, I VISIT ONE AUCTION IN LONDON EVERY NOW AND THEN. THE FLAME OF NEW, THE FLAME OF BARGAIN IS NOT AS BURNING AS IT WAS IN THE NEOPHYTE OF 1980S. I AM A SEASONED INVESTOR TODAY BUT TOTALLY COMMITTED TO UN-EARTHING A BARGAIN, IF THERE IS ONE.
A PAIR OF PAINTINGS BOUGHT FOR £62
THE PAIR OF PAINIINGS LOOKED GOOD FORM THE DISTANCE. EXAMINING THEM FROM CLOSE RANGE, THEY LOOKED EVEN BETTER. A PAIR OF PAINTINGS BY AN UNKNOWN ARTIST. HOWEVER, THERE WAS QUALITY IN THE PAINTINGS, THERE WAS SOME SIZE AND THEY WERE BEAUTIFULLY FRAMED. BOTH SIGNED AND DATED 1963.
TOTAL COST £62.00.
I WILL COME BACK HERE WITH MORE DETAILS AND THE IMAGES OF THE TWO PAINTINGS NEXT WEEK. I HOPE I WILL DIG OUT THE NAME OF THE ARTIST AND WHERE HE COMES FROM. IT LOOKS SORT OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN BUT I CANNOT BE SURE AT THIS MOMENT.
ONE OF A PAIR
CONCLUDING FOR TODAY, I ADVISE MY READERS. MAKE SOME TIME TO VISIT YOUR LOCAL AUCTION. MY LAST VISIT TO A PROMINENT PROVINCIAL AUCTION ENDED WITH BUYING A PAIR OF VIETNAMESE PAINTINGS THAT ARE WORTH ABOUT 3-4000 POUNDS AND GUESS WHAT, I PAID 500 POUNDS FOR THE TWO. I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE ARTIST AT THE TIME BUT ART… YES, THERE WAS GOOD ART THERE. I WILL DEAL WITH THOSE INVESTMENTS IN ANOTHER ENTRY.
AM I TRYING TO PERSUADE YOU TO VISIT AUCTIONS?
YES, I AM AND I HOPE I PERSUADE YOU TO START DOING SO!!
PETER CONSTANT
