I BOUGHT IT AT YOUR AUCTION BUT…..
HAVE YOU FALLEN VICTIM OF THIS FACT AND EVENT AT ONE OF THE TOP AUCTION HOUSES?
HAVE YOU BEEN KICKED OUT AS A SELLER BUT WELCOME BEGGING AS A PURCHASER?
HAVE YOU FALLEN VICTIM OF AGGRESSIVE SALES AND PERSUASION BUT NOW LICKING WOUNDS OF SUCH PRACTISES?
THIS IS THE STORY OF MY FRIEND K AS WELL AS MYSELF:
I INVESTED NEARLY 5000 POUNDS IN A PAINTING SOME TWENTY YEARS AGO, MY FRIEND TELLS ME. I TOOK THE SAME PAINTING BACK TO THE SAME AUCTION I BOUGHT IT FROM, I SHOWED THEM ALL THE EVIDENCE OF PURCHASE ETC AND THEIR VERDICT WAS:
SORRY, WE CANNOT ENTER THIS PAINTING FOR SALE BECAUSE OUR LOWEST ENTRY VALUE NOW IS 4000 POUNDS AND THIS WORK IS NOW ESTIMATED AT 3- 4000 POUNDS IN SPITE THE ARTIST HAVING RECENT SALES MUCH HIGHER THAT 3-4000.
THE COMPLAINTS, THE PROTESTATIONS MET AN ICY RESPONSE AND MY FRIEND CANNOT LIQUIDATE A GOOD PIECE OF ART BOUGHT AT THE SAME VENUE, THE AUCTIONEERS BONHAMS. MIND YOU, HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE SAME HAPPENED AT CHRISTIES FOR ANOTHER ITEM HE INVESTED IN AND BOUGHT FROM THEM.
MY OWN STORY ABOUT THESE AUCTIONEERS, BONHAMS, DOES NOT DECORATE THEM IN LAURELS AT ALL. THEY REFUSE TO HEAR ABOUT ARTISTS THAT SELL WELL AT AUCTION, THEY SOLD THE ARTIST THEMSELVES, BECAUSE THEY CLAIM THEY ARE ESTABLISHED AUCTIONEERS AND THAT RESULTS HAPPENING ELSEWHRE ARE NOT BY ESTABLISHED AUCTIONS. THAT IS WHAT THEIR EXPERT COMMUNICATED TO ME IN WRITING IN SPITE OF THEM AND CHRISTIES AND SOTHEBYS SELLING THE ARTIST AT GOOD PRICES YEARS AGO.
THUS ACCORDING TO THE EXPERTS AT BONHAMS, ANY ARTISTS SELLING ELSEWHERE BUT THEM, IS NOT ESTABLISHED EVEN THOUGH THE ART DATA BASES EVERYWHERE STATE SO. IT DOES NOT MATTER TO THEM, THEY ARE THE MASTERS AND DECIDE ACCORDING TO WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU ARE, LIKE YOU OR NOT, AND HOW MUCH THEY BENEFIT FROM YOU!
THIS ARTICLE IS ONE OF A SERIES I INTEND TO LAUNCH TO PROTECT THE UNSUSPECTING PUBLIC OF UNSCRUPULOUS AUCTIONEERS WHOSE ONLY AIM IS TO COLLECT COMMISSIONS AND ONLY THAT AND WHEN DECIDING TO SELL THEY KICK YOU OUT OF THEIR PREMISES IN A SHAMELESS MANNER.
PETER CONSTANT, AN ART COLLECTOR
