Art Auctions

Don (husband) and I attended an art auction last night that was so much fun! We saw some incredible work by famous artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Deyber, Kondakova and my personal favorite, Felix Mas, who we had the honor to meet on another occasion. Boy, I wish I could have purchased one of his originals…..

The bidding process for art is like any other auction, you register, receive a number, and when the piece is shown that you want to buy, you make your bid and then the fun begins.  The buyers at this particular auction walked away with some impressive pieces at great prices.

If you’ve never been to an auction, there are a couple of very important things to remember.  First and foremost, determine beforehand how much money you plan to spend.  Always remember that there is an additional premium added to the total (10-15% normally) that the auction house gets.  If this is a surprise to you when checking out, it can be very embarrassing.

Second important step in any auction is to attend the preview and look carefully at the pieces.  Most auctions (art or any thing else) are for the piece you actually see so it is important to inspect it and make sure there isn’t any damage. Look at the back of the piece as well as the front and sides.  Surprises when you get the art home aren’t fun.

Many auctions for fine art, antiques, or high-end merchandise will send out a preview catalog. I’ve learned that it’s a good thing to go through the catalog, mark it up as to what you like best from the picture, and then check out those pieces first during the preview.  The catalog will save you a lot of time and confusion when you’re at the preview.

The great thing about auctions is meeting the other people there who obviously have similar interests.  Enjoy yourself and talk with some other people and make new friends. Honestly, Don is better about that than me because he’s the people person in our household.  I’m the analytical  thinker who is happy  in my own world.

Hope this helps! Auctions can be so much fun, whether buying or just watching.

Dottie