Archive for January, 2010
The State of the (Winter) Antiques Show
Friday, January 29th, 2010I started writing this blog when the antiques business was pre “Great Recession” in January of 2007. It was when the venerated New York Winter Antiques Show was on its last legs as an event with past glories. At that time the selection of dealer inventory styles was expanding. The extent that the show has [...]
Industry Control; Controlling Inventory.
Monday, January 18th, 2010Physical 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 [...]
Irrevocable Bid Redux
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010As Enron was well versed in the smoke and mirrors of accounting practices, so too has Sotheby’s and of course Christie’s been encouraged with the buyer collusion offered by the irrevocable bid sham. This is now the duopoly’s new form of giving guarantees, and still collecting generous fees. With their intractable buyer’s premium, they will [...]
Industry Evolution
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010I start 2010 with the anticipation that it will be better than the previous year. After reading Niall Ferguson’s book, The Ascent of Money, the road to riches over time has evolved quite dramatically in form and format. So as I look ahead, where have antiques and art come from and fit into the future [...]