We’re thrilled to share an exclusive video segment from SoFLo Home Project that showcases our Florida showroom and features an insightful interview with our CEO, Jake Baer. Dive deep into the world of mid-century modern elegance as our CEO, Jake Baer, personally guides you through our iconic collection. From timeless designs to the rich histories behind each piece, Jake shares some of the most incredible furniture tales that define Newel’s legacy. Watch now and be inspired. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIXGL98sqy8
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A Brief History of Victorian Furniture
A BRIEF HISTORY OF VICTORIAN FURNITURE Queen Victoria’s reign defined not only an ideological and political movement, but an aesthetic one as well, which was embraced throughout the United Kingdom, later through much of Europe, and ultimately, in the United States. She was respected culturally as a woman of the people, and creatively as a trend-setter, as her taste in furniture influenced the stylistic sensibilities of her people. Victorian furniture is known for its ornateness, orderliness, and eclectic approach to unifying design themes from a variety of periods into a coherent framework. While it incorporated elements of Renaissance, Rococo and Gothic influences, Victorian Furniture is often characterized by its use…
Celebrating 80 Years of Antiques & Decorative Arts
ABOUT NEWEL About Us Timeline Consign / Sell to Newel Our Inventory Newel Modern Support Meet the Newel Family For four generations, Newel has inspired international collectors and designers with one of the most extensive decorative and fine arts galleries in the world. A family business since 1939, our roots are firmly planted in New York, where we spent our earliest days furnishing some of Broadway’s most fabled productions. Today, we continue the tradition as the world’s premier decorative arts resource for distinguished private collectors and industry-leading designers. We offer a range of rare antiques and vintage finds that span centuries and styles, enabling our clients to find unique pieces…
Antiques, for an Evolving Buyer
Back in the day (the 20th Century), you either bought antiques and decorative arts at auction or from dealers spread throughout the US and Europe. Sourcing merchandise was easy but competitive, with a robust dealer/auction base and a consumer market bursting with demand. Anyone of means could open a shop and be a “dealer” of fine objects in any small or large city. A sense of taste, knowledge, and a little capital for inventory and a shop were the requisite requirements for success. Fast forward to the present and the necessities for survival have a completely different format. The showroom and shop structure has gone the way of Amazon Prime.…
The Antiques Industry, Captured in Time
Anyone in the decorative arts and specifically the “antiques business” has been overwhelmed by the last decade’s collapse in pricing, glut of supply, and dearth of dealers to create a secondary market. Yes, Tiffany is holding its own and modern design is still testing its limits but the industry’s many other categories are faring on a different level than has ever been seen in this market’s new re-balancing. Pricing now is a much more elusive number that tests Adam Smith to his core. Willing buyers and sellers balance price with knowledge. The knowledge is a critical component for gauging value, but the value can be altered by an emotional or…
The Auction Duopoly, Dubious Dealers in Disguise
The headlines after the Sotheby’s $½ billion Taubman auction guarantee disaster was their new acquisition of the Art Agency, Partners (AAP). The firm is lead by a group of high powered art advisors who claim a leadership role in the high end of the fine arts market. Sotheby’s, is doubling downing on this segment of the market for their future growth. Of course there must not be any possibility of a bust in this inflated world. What this new step by the new CEO, Tad Smith indicates to me is that their reliance on controlling their traditional auction methods is coming under undue pressure for profits and playing the dealer…
The Duopoly, Peaking or Will They Just Fade Away
I’m never bashful about my disdain for the Sotheby’s/Christie’s methods of deception and fraud, as they seem to be doing it quite successfully in spite of my rants against them. But as all things must adapt and change with the evolution of a dynamic environment, the world of the auctioneer and their methods is not going to be the same. Control via the economic power of a duopoly can cause the two parties complacency and rigidity in how they operate. That can lead to an inability to recognize that old methods can inhibit growth and creativity. The evidence of this phenomenon is how this duopoly in the art and…
The End of an Era on 53rd Street, Newel 1969-2015
Today is a seminal day in the history of Newel, a 4th generation family business. We have officially planned to not operate out of that location today, the first time since my first summer job working at Newel in 1969. With our original store in 1939 on 47th Street and Second Avenue, additional 49th Street locations, the 53rd Street building has had an incredible run for our success and survival; and how has the industry changed in the last 46 years? My personal perspective on this special day is both saddened by the memories, but buoyed by the prospects and opportunities that now abound. Somehow the location was never really…
Survival By Consolidation
One thing you can say about the dealer network, it is incredibly fragmented, to the point of total specialization and independent operation. While I like to think Newel is the antithesis of that domain, there are no Christie’s or Sotheby’s among them, except perhaps in specific, isolated fields. They did it by consolidating numerous specialty departments across a broad range of decorative and fine arts, along with jewelry and real estate. Their model is flawed by deception, fraud, and all the other manipulative techniques they employ but they got it all under one roof and they sold it to the public. I like to think that the decorative and fine…
A New Path for Newel
With a foundation that was totally different than any other decorative arts dealer, Newel is about to experience a new and auspicious future. The present state of the industry is dicey at best, but as my grandfather who founded Newel would say, success is when “opportunity meets preparation.” Newel is now officially unshackled from its location at 425 East 53rd Street for the first time since 1969. It was a phenomenal run for four generations of the family (it all started on 2nd Ave. and 47th Street in 1939) but now is the time for a new chapter. A massive Long Island City warehouse and new showroom on East 61st…
