HARD TO IMAGINE AND THINK FORTY YEARS BACK AND RELATE WHAT HAPPENED!!!
It was 1983, October 1983, when armed with just over £200.00, I attended and invested first time at auction in anything and everything at at Lewis auctions, a small town near Brighton, England.
To make it clearer and more relevant I quote the comment of the auctioneer, a good friend later, who said of my investments in his auction and of a friend of mine:
“I HOPE YOU KNEW WHAT YOU BOUGHT GUYS”
It was made in good humor and heart but it was the truth and fact; we knew nothing about art or antiques. That was the beginning which soon was followed by only investments and dealing in art with great successes that need a book to narrate. Should you be interested my book RAGS OR RICHES narrates plenty of events regarding investments, sales, purchases good and bad.
FORTY YEARS ON:
AUCTIONS AND THEIR ROLE HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. THE INTERNET MADE IT VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ACQUIRE A BARGAIN.
I realised as early as 1990 that auctions were to become a very unlikely place to acquire bargains and thus turned to artists studios and auctions people heard little of in hope. Thus, today and because of that idea I have some two hundred paintings I collected directly from artists and their studios in Greece. I also slowly and gradually collected individual paintings from auctions and I can say with a lot of pride that my collections of Greek and other art is about 300 pieces. Small by any standards but cherished by myself.
I live surrounded by art and breathe art and life is impossible without art and antiques surrounding me!!!
Peter Constant, BA, MA Arts
