Eric Gaskins Vol 16: Auctions – Contact Sport for Men and Women
Once you’ve taken care of the outside it’s time to get busy with the interior. Now that we’re back indoors, there are some great ways to mix things up and have a blast doing it. Yard sales are treasure troves of unexpected treats. If you’re a bigger game hunter, then AUCTIONS ARE IT! I’ve become an obsessive auction watcher/bidder. Many are in the Tri-State area and are surprisingly easy to get to. Most take place on weekends, as well. All are on line so one can participate from the comfort of your kitchen’s island. A favorite of mine is Rago Arts Auction house in Lambertville, New Jersey. It’s about one and a half hours from Manhattan and has regular auctions every 3-4 months throughout the year. They deal in Contemporary Art, objects, books, ephemera as well as furniture (my passion along with paintings) and complete Estates. From Nakashima to Vladimir Kagan, in furniture, and Adolph Gottlieb and Robert Motherwell to Cindy Sherman in art. The sky is the limit. What I love most is that there are magnificent treasures to be found that often go for a song. I’ve approached it not from an investment angle, but from what turns me on. When I’m surrounded in comfort, whether it’s hi or low, grand or spare, I feel better in my skin.
Auctions are not only amazing outlets for vast amounts of things to consider under one roof, but are also great sport. The bidding process can be a huge adrenaline rush when you’re up against a formidable opponent. Auctions are the contact sport of acquisitions. You need nerves of steel and a desire to get whatever you treasure within a cost that hopefully doesn’t exceed your comfort zone. The list of pieces or LOTS are shown on the Auction’s website or can be purchased in a catalog format. The actual price one pays has a buyer’s premium of about 22% above the price paid. So it’s important that you have what you wanted. Buyer’s remorse is so much sweeter when it’s a piece you covet.
I’ve learned to set limits as to how much I’m willing to spend and what something is ultimately worth to me. Even when I’ve lost out to other deeper pocketed bidders, I’ve enjoyed the suspense. Winning a coveted piece is by far the most exciting experience of all. It’s a high five moment; a fist bump, if you will. I’m guilty of all of those indiscreet actions, even a little dance in the aisle when I snagged my first Gottlieb Lithographs. Adolph Gottlieb was the first painter, whose work I flipped for back in 1976, as a senior in high school.
When bidding on line through Live Auctioneers.com you place your cursor on the red bid button and click to place your bid as you watch the bidding rise or sit still. This is the best way to participate if you’re not able to physically bid in the room. It’s easy and 80% sure. I prefer to have a representative call me when my lot is coming up so that I can bid with their help and remain connected to the live action and not rely on the computer. I lost out on a fabulous Edward Wormley sofa when my electronic bid was not counted.
If at all possible, go to the preview so that you see the condition of the piece. Otherwise, the condition report is stated next to the piece, or you can call in and ask a specialist at the Auction house what their feeling is. Be thorough in your questions. The other advantage to Auctions are that in many cases, one can acquire important art, furniture and objects, complete with provenance, at considerably lower prices than you’d pay a dealer or gallery. Half the audience happens to be dealers, so why not get it for yourself at what approaches wholesale prices? My dear friend Beth Terry, a fabulous and astute collector, has discovered this wonderful world of shopping and has embraced it with every fiber in her acquisitive soul.
No matter where the auction occurs, the goodies can be shipped to you at extremely fair prices and arrive carefully and lovingly wrapped. Wright21.com is a superb auction house in Chicago with an even broader and more rare selection. Both houses are perfection. Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Drouot in Paris, specifically for Couture, are for the highest rollers and fun when you’re after truly big game. For the rest of us, try your paddle at these venerable institutions. They rate with World Championship Dressage, Olympic Figure Skating and the latest offerings of Chanel. Life can be so sweet, but it’s up to you to add the sweetener. Nothing truly great comes without a bit of effort and and an iron will, so raise your paddles and GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!
Eric Gaskins ….. The Emperors Old Clothes
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