One of the best compliments I ever received was from a client who purchased something prior to my ownership of the company. A situation happened with that client several years later, after I bought the company which required me to examine the importance of one’s reputation.  She taught me a lesson on humility and said I was doing the right thing. Recently, a dealer who I know and respect called me about an issue we both shared and one that requires me, to do the right thing. Several blogs ago I wrote about my thoughts on the vetting process and my doubts about it as an effective tool to give…

I have always tried to slice and dice a piece of furniture or decorative arts by associating a style and sub-style with the item.  I find it’s a way to understand where the design was coming from and what influences made it adaptable.  Chinese Chippendale seems as incongruous a combination of designs as faux-bamboo.  Today’s designs have evolved from somewhere, and I like the term Millennium Modern as identifying late 20th Century to the present. The interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield coined the term.  I believe he was trying to put a name on a style that just was classified as “contemporary”, but lacked a style period name.  Art Nouveau isn’t…

I have always been a strong advocate of disclosed prices in the art and antiques industry.  The fear of disclosing an asking price is nothing less than a secret reserve price.  It creates a setting for being deceived and manipulated before you even make an inquiry about the item.  As a method that has become an accepted format for doing business, a minimum (auction reserve price) or maximum (dealer asking price) that is not disclosed creates an artificial wall to the consumer. I love how the famous Sotheby’s/Christie’s catalogue notation “estimate on request” attempts to add a mystique to the item; it also sets up further blockage to the reserve…

Presently before the NYS Senate is a bill, passed by the Assembly that is attempting to define how public auctions should operate.  This law needs clearer and more direct disclosure of the potentially deceptive and collusive actions presently allowed.  Codified with this bill, the new rules will avail auctioneers to continue these abuses. Below, is a link to the legislation and my comments on specific sections of the bill: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A01730%09%09&Summary=Y&Text=Y Section 1 (S29)  Requirements For Auction state it is the responsibility of the auctioneer for the truth in any statement relating to the auction. Comment: The auctioneer should also be responsible for disclosing any relevant information that he knows regarding…

In the commercial world of decorative and fine arts, the present economic environment has been tough on many areas of the industry, but especially hard on furniture.  Is it price, design, or is it not minimalist enough?  As one esteemed dealer at the Winter Antiques show lamented to me, was this “English furniture’s Waterloo”?  In my mind, perhaps classic French and Italian or even Art Nouveau has seen much better days of demand and appreciation, but not as much as an iphone. Antique furniture is the most underappreciated, least know areas of the art world.  Most design schools give very short and cursory coverage of these basic function forms. The…

Physical possession of a fine or decorative arts item includes an added premium of control.  Auctioneers like Sotheby’s and Christie’s have been using this advantage more than anyone in the industry.  Their warehouses can be unbelievable experiences to walk through and see such quantity, quality, and diversity (sounds like Newel).  But control of the next stop for these objects is really no different than what happens when I as a dealer sell something. Stocking such quantities of inventory are amazing things to see and the antiques show format is a good try.  These shows really do pale a walk-through of any of the duopoly’s warehouses which are spread out all…