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Collecting can be fun. Some people
collect Peanuts characters, Pez dispensers, doorknobs, coins, stamps
and even movie memorabilia. As a kid, I used to
collect coins, nowadays, I just pull them from my pocket change.
I am still looking for one of the new buffalo
nickels. I like the state quarters, but I think they are wearing thin.
Some
people appear to be spending their collections.
The other day, I got a mint condition Delaware quarter that must
have come from someone's coin book. I did the
same thing as a kid.
NOT Savvy Collecting
by: Corinne Cain
Original paintings by Renoir, Chagall, Picasso, Rembrandt and
Mary Cassatt at a discount buying club??? Embarking more than 25
miles each way to experience possibly original prints by these
artists, I figured the press release was probably only slightly
errant. Almost no Rembrandt paintings in private hands are available
for sale anywhere in the world, much less as part of a 3 day art
trunk show at a discount buying club.
The named art dealer was from a seemingly swank Southern
California locale. Some degree of suspicion results, as mention of
this location is designed to trigger a certain poshness. There are
reputable art businesses in this locale alongside those who
consciously prey on the uninformed spontaneous art buyers. Other
potential victim zones in the U.S. are Carmel, California; Honolulu,
Hawaii and Scottsdale, Arizona. Travelers far away from the
pressures of work, often in the company of a favorite companion,
spend dollars with relative abandon. In short, they don’t
comparison shop or do their homework.
There were paintings by an artist with a French last name, a
relative no-name artist. The omission of this individual’s last
name caused me to wonder. Didn’t the seller know his/her first
name? Was the viewer to think “If I ask, he’ll think I don’t
know who the really famous French artists are?”
The remaining golden opportunities consisted of original
lithographs by Marc Chagall, unsigned meaning they were originally
tipped into books. These have some value but are generally not
rabidly pursued or priced so aggressively. The Rembrandt etchings
were 19th century impressions. As Rembrandt lived and worked during
the 17th century, his etching plates were frequently re-etched over
the next two centuries, seriously altering the appearance of the
resulting etchings. Practiced art buyers do not knock themselves out
to acquire the later impressions, especially for the prices
presented.
The Mary Cassatt etchings were replica etchings made in France
from the original plates long after Mary died. The Louvre has a
division that creates and sells posthumous prints from plates
residing there. These typically sell for a few hundred dollars, not
thousands as they were priced in the discount buying club.
In short, these opportunities were fool’s gold. Here are some
tips that will help you avoid getting hurt:
If unsure about a purchase, ask for a photograph and description
then hire a Fine Art appraiser to carry out research pronto!
To find a designated Fine Art appraiser, American Society of
Appraisers' website is www.appraisers.org.
No self control? Ask about their return policy and make sure your
receipt includes artist's name, title of work, date of work, medium,
condition of art and frame and the price plus all the dealer's
contact information.
Remember, if it looks too good to be true it probably is.
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About The Author
Corinne Cain is the principal of Corinne Cain, Ltd, a
nationally recognized firm affording expert appraisal and
consulting services on Fine Art and Native American Art. Her
background includes an MFA and MBA from Southern Methodist
University. Ms. Cain is also the proprietor of Savvycollector.com,
a nationally known secondary art market dealer.
Copyright Corinne Cain, 2005
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ArticleCity.com - NOT Savvy Collecting
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