Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine’s Post

Get auction ready! There are plenty of opportunities for new collectors who want to start to break into buying blue-chip art and I know I will surprise budding collectors when I say that there are plenty of wonderful works at entry level prices. Look out for the Day sales for more affordable works by blue-chip artists, whereas the Evening sales tend to lead with the more exceptional pieces. Smaller works, works on paper, drawings, prints and sculptural works by blue-chip artists often offer opportunities for new collectors to get started with a more modest budget rather than leaping into the higher price points for larger works on canvasses for example. The next blue-chip Day sale is Sothebys Contemporary Day Auction Live on 14th May 2024, 9.00am EDT NY and local time 2.00pm BST. Follow the sale here https://lnkd.in/eXWS9eMw     Brace yourself there are 341 lots.   So how to do you drill down? Like this. 1.     Only focus on artists you are interested in 2.     Only look at great quality works that have resale ability – (this is why we focus on blue-chip as blue-chip artists are the top performing artists on the secondary market with long track records for solid and consistent auction sales performance.) 3.     Fix a budget and stick to it. Now I am going to show you 10 artworks you can potentially get for under $50K. For those new to art auctions, bear in mind these are estimates and so bidding on the day can go above these figures and depending what the reserve prices are, the works can sometimes sell below estimates. Also any work you potentially buy in auction you need to be aware of additional fees (such as buyer’s premium, VAT or sales tax or customs duties) and any additional costs such as shipping and insurance.   At the top end of your budget 1.     Etel Adnan Summer (E3) Estimate: 30,000 - 50,000 USD at lot 221 2.     Gerhard Richter, März 2000 (Firenze) Estimate 40,000 - 50,000 USD at lot 234 3.     Gerhard Richter, Firenze 30,000 - 40,000 USD at lot 235 4.     Helen Frankenthaler, Painted Book Cover #15, Estimate: 10,000 - 15,000 USD at lot 309 5.     Helen Frankenthaler, Painted Book Cover #4 Estimate: 10,000 – 15K at lot 310 6.     Jasper Johns, Foirades/Fizzles, Estimate: 12,000 - 18,000 USD at lot 316 7.     David Hockney, Panama Hat, Estimate: 20,000 - 30,000 USD at lot 317 8.     Lucian Freud, Head of a Man, Estimate:12,000 - 18,000 USD at lot 318 9.     Lucian Freud, Thistle, Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000 USD at lot 319 10.  Roy Lichtenstein, Crying Girl, Estimate: $15,000 - 25,000 USD at lot 368. For assistance with your blue-chip art acquisitions at auction, in galleries and privately DM me. We are here to help collectors buy the best available works for their budget. #bluechipart #artcollecting #artcollector #artinvestor #artinvestors #artinvestmentfunds #familyoffices #privateequity #auctionsales #privateartsales #fineart

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀-𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?  Imagine you're in a bidding war for a rare piece of art. The stakes are high, the competition fierce. But here's the twist – if you win, you get the artwork for free! Yes, you read that right. In a Losers-Pay Auction, the winner walks away without paying a dime. The catch? All the losing bidders pay the amount they bid. 𝗕𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: ▶ Each bidder submits a bid representing the amount they value the artwork at. ▶ These bids are serious financial commitments, not mere estimates or expressions of interest. 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: ▶ The highest bidder is declared the winner and acquires the artwork. ▶ In a traditional auction, the winner would pay their bid amount to purchase the piece. However, in the Losers-Pay Auction model, the winner pays nothing and receives the artwork for free. 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀: ▶ The twist here is that all the other bidders who did not win are required to pay the amounts they bid. ▶ This payment could go to the seller of the artwork, adding an extra layer of revenue beyond just the value of the highest bid. 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Potential buyers must bid more strategically, knowing that a losing bid still costs them financially. This might lead to more genuine valuations and less speculative bidding. 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: It could impact the way artworks are valued and sold, as bidders have to assess their true value and interest in the piece carefully. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀: This model might attract serious collectors and investors who are confident in their valuation skills and financial standing. It could potentially reduce the number of casual bidders or speculators. 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀: This model could be particularly interesting for high-profile auctions at major auction houses, where prestigious and high-value artworks are sold. It could also be used in charity art auctions, where the additional revenue from the losing bids is donated to a good cause. In this art industry context, the Losers-Pay Auction model adds a significant financial implication to the bidding process, possibly changing how art is bought and sold in high-stakes environments. What do you think? Could the Losers-Pay Auction model be a positive change in certain industries? #AuctionTheory #BusinessStrategy #Innovation #onlineauctions #artauction #art

$46.5 M. Basquiat leads Phillips’s tepid $86.3 M. New York Auction. Phillips earlier this week hosted New York marquee auctions on Tuesday with a sale of modern and contemporary art. The Phillips sale brought in $86.3 million, coming in just below the auction’s $90 million pre-sale estimate. Still, this result marked an improvement over last year’s May New York auction held by Phillips, which brought in $69.5 million. The priciest lot was Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (ELMAR), from 1982, one of 13 lots that hit the block with a third-party guarantee. Phillips gave the painting a $60 million high estimate, putting it on track to become one of the most expensive Basquiat paintings ever sold at auction. That number was in part a reflection of its decorated provenance: it had been acquired from dealer Annina Nosei by anthropologist Francesco Pellizzi, a friend of Basquiat. Pellizzi then sold it to the current consignor. Untitled (ELMAR) didn’t come close to that $60 million figure, ultimately hammering for just a hair above its low estimate, at $40.2 million. Even if that wasn’t an astounding number, it was good enough for people in the room, who greeted the sale with a round of applause. With fees, the final result was $46.5 million. The action at this sale was slow, with few bidding wars. Most works sold for within their estimates. Helen Frankenthaler’s Acres (1959), a soak-and-stain painting from this Abstract Expressionist’s heyday, was one of the few works that managed to incite a bona fide battle. Over the course of several minutes, two phone bidders duked it out, pushing the work far beyond its $2.5 million high estimate. In the end, it sold for $3.69 million—hardly a record for Frankenthaler, whose most expensive work at auction sold for $7.8 million at an online Sotheby’s sale in 2021, but a good result no less. But the Frankenthaler was an exception during an auction in which buyers seemed cautious about bidding on work by established artists. Following the hour-long auction’s conclusion, some said it was tough to speak in grand pronouncements about the results. “We’re seeing a mixed, artist-specific market at Phillips tonight,” art adviser David Shapiro told ARTnews. But he said there were some positives: the sell-through rate was 92 percent, which he noted was solid, “notwithstanding some tepid results.” #artcollecting #artexhibition #artmuseum #artinvesting #artinvestment #artcollector #artnews #artworld #artmarket #artmarketnews #artauction #artgallery #artfair #arthistory #artworld #fair #worldrecord #modernart #impressionism #postwar #contemporaryart #jeanmichelbasquiat #phillipsnewyork #phillips #basquiat https://lnkd.in/eeKeRYfT

Fine Art & Collectables auction September 2024 Our upcoming auction, internally known as ‘183’ will start tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how well our lots will be sold. In a way it is the validation of all the work that we have put in. Each auction is a cycle of six months which brings its own obstacles and learning opportunities. One of the obstacles this time is that we had to cope with a renovation on top of our regular work. Not easy, but for those that have been to our viewing days, I think you will agree that it has been well worth it. In terms of learning opportunities there were plenty and I like to mention some of them. One of them was working with a museum to help them to offload part of their collection. You find it in our catalog under the name ‘Toy Museum Alkmaar’. My knowledge of glass improved due to a number of consignors that came to us with beautiful items from Glasfabriek Leerdam, among those a number of ‘unica’. This in combination with my recent visit to the ‘Nationaal Glasmuseum’ in Leerdam made me appreciate the tremendous work done by people like A.D. Copier even more. I bought some books to learn more. We also had two consignors that came to us with large collections of Swarovski. It entailed not only the usual, but also had some relatively older pieces and work by well-known designers. Although I am no fan of Swarovski I must admit that my view has slightly changed as there are pieces that I wouldn’t mind having at home. Toys seems to be a growing part of our auctions and this time we have some very nice tin toys from Japan, Italy and West Germany. Well worth checking out. As we had some great statues in our last auction we continue that this time with work by for example Kees Verkade, Theo Mackaay and Fransje Carbasius. Each artist that are well worth some further investigation. Ceramics has some interesting pieces this time, e.g. a vase by Lucie Rie (lot 1638), a vase with dragon by ‘Plateelfabriek Rozenburg’ (lot 1603), a vase with geometric decor designed by Chris van der Hoef (lot 1616), etc. To be honest this is my main interest and area that I would like to continue to develop further. A visit to ‘Royal Delft’, formerly known as ‘De Porceleyne Fles’, shows many examples of the great work done over time. It also has some examples of ‘Nieuw Delfts’ of which we have one in our current auction (lot 1622). I do hope that ‘Royal Delft’ will decide to pick this up again. Another area of interest of mine is vintage and design. I did some work to get some of this in our auction and hope it will continue to develop in future auctions. I can continue with mentioning many more, but will leave that for another time. Greatful for the opportunity that this auction has given me. Have a look at our catalog and maybe you find yourself something that you would like to bid on. In that case you might come across me as your auctioneer.

US$ 400 million # 1 US$ 400 million # 2 SOLD....... 🔨 In case you are wondering, this is the auction price paid for the painting titled "Salvator Mundi" , one of the very few paintings in the world by Leonardo Da Vinci. ( It's not Di-Caprio). For the uninitiated : Da Vinci is the same painter who did the world’s most famous painting "Mona Lisa" which is forever housed at the Louvre, Paris and is owned by the French population. Now is the FUN part : 🎨 In 2005, two art dealers (lets call them Tom & Jerry) bought a painting for a small price at a private auction in New Orleans (USA). 🎨 This painting was not taken care of. It needed repairing and restoration. They brought their painting to a reputed art restorer. 🎨 While it was being restored, the restorer felt this could be a painting by Leonardo. 🎨 And then, all sorts of processes started. It took years. Research & Analysis : Imagine, used here too : 🖌 After years of analyzing and researching on this piece of art by several global art-lovers-auctioneers and collectors, it was concluded that the painting was indeed 'original' SALVATOR MUNDI and it was by Leonardo. 🖌 The initial guys (Tom & Jerry) who bought this painting in a Trashy condition, after restoration of the painting, sold the Mundi for a "massive profit" ........Or so Tom & Jerry thought. 🖌 Salvator Mundi was a piece of "pricless art" and was put up in the National Gallery in London for public viewing. Note this : Until 2016, the painting was sold a few more times and its last recorded price then was $127.5 million. 2017 : Christie's brings SALVATOR MUNDI to Auction... Understand the Auction Process : 🔨 Christie’s, the world famous auction house was 'keen' to get behind this auction & Christie's spent a good amount of time marketing this painting. Why you ask, wait till the end. 🔨 Much before the painting was opened for auction, they took it to various cities across the world to garner interest from Global Wealthy Folks. 🔨 Hype was built. It was also shown to private gatherings of rich art collectors. USP or Sales Pitch used : This is the last Leonardo painting that was still in private hands, all the others were in museums. Result : 👑 Mundi was 'hammered' 🔨 to it's buyer for US$400 million. Plus the buyer paid $50 million as a commission to Christie's - the auction house. Conclusion : Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.......

In the recent Modern and contemporary evening auctions held in London, Christie's emerged victorious with an impressive overall total of £163.3 million (£196.7 million including fees) on March 7, surpassing Sotheby's, which garnered £82.2 million (£99.7 million with fees) the preceding evening. Christie's remarkable £163.3 million sum, representing a 17 percent increase from the previous year, was significantly bolstered by the inclusion of 25 Surrealist masterpieces, among which was the auction's top-selling lot, René Magritte's late work "L'ami intime" (1958), which fetched a staggering £29 million (£33.7 million with fees, estimated value without fees £30 million-£50 million) despite minimal fanfare. This piece was sold from the collection of the late publisher and conductor Gilbert Kaplan and his spouse, who had initially acquired the work for a mere £90,000 at an auction in 1980. The overall results suggest a persistent divergence between auction house estimates and final selling prices in the current cautious market environment. The totals achieved by Sotheby's and Christie's were at the lower end of expectations, which had already been revised downward due to numerous withdrawals, while Phillips' modest sale of £10.9 million (£13.7 million with fees) on March 7 fell short of its lower estimate of £11.7 million. According to dealer Nick Maclean, the bidding at Christie's for Francis Bacon's "Landscape near Malabata, Tangier" (1963) – which was acquired by adviser Francis Outred for £16.8 million (£19.6 million with fees), within the estimated range – encapsulated the broader market sentiment. Maclean states, "Buyers are cautious not to exceed their limits, so the market has lost some of its froth, but there is still stability." The Bacon piece, once part of author Roald Dahl's collection, was reportedly sold last week by hedge fund manager Pierre Lagrange, who is also believed to be the seller of Frank Auerbach's "Head of EOW II" (1964), which fetched £3.3 million (£4 million with fees) at Sotheby's, within its estimated range. Both works had previously been sold through the London dealer Ivor Braka and were offered at auction with third-party guarantees. #artcollecting #artexhibition #artmuseum #artinvesting #artinvestment #artcollector #artnews #artworld #artmarket #artmarketnews #artauction #artgallery #artfair #arthistory #artworld #fair #worldrecord #modernart #impressionism #postwar #contemporaryart #financialtimes #ft #christieslondon #christies #sothebys #sothebyslondon #magritte

📢 "Get ready for a bustling auction week! With over 3,000 homes up for grabs, major cities are gearing up for their second busiest showdown of the year. Sydney and Melbourne take the lead with soaring auction numbers, while Brisbane and Adelaide set the pace among the smaller capitals. The auction buzz intensifies before the festive season kicks in!" Auction Market Preview - 10 December 2023 1. Capital city auction activity is expected to rise 7.5% this week, with 3,186 homes scheduled for auction. 2. This week will be the second busiest auction week of the year for the combined capital cities, with numbers only surpassed by the week ending October 29th. 3. Sydney is expecting a 6.3% increase in auction numbers, making it the busiest week of the year for the city. 4. Melbourne will also have its second busiest week of the year, with a 6.3% increase in auction numbers compared to last week. 5. Brisbane is set to have the busiest auction week among the smaller capitals, followed by Adelaide. Source: Homefront.today

𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝟰 𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗦 Based on factors such as longevity, sales history, annual revenue, diversity of auctioned items, global reach, notable collections, record sale prices, service quality, and digital innovation, a ranking of the best auction houses has been made: 𝐒𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐛𝐲'𝐬 Founded in London in 1744, Sotheby's is the world's largest and longest-standing auction house, earning over $7 billion annually. It excels in contemporary art, jewelry, wine, and manuscripts. Record sales include a $450 million Rembrandt. 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐞’𝐬 Founded in 1766, Christie's boasts the highest total auction turnover and holds the record for the most expensive artwork ever sold in a public sale, with annual sales exceeding billions across digital platforms and five continents. Notable auction records include $450 million for Salvator Mundi. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐬 Britain’s oldest auctioneer, Bonhams, was founded in 1793 and has offices worldwide, achieving over $1 billion in annual sales. It is mainly known for rare books, motorcars, and collectibles. Bonhams holds the record for the most expensive medieval manuscript sold at auction. 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 A newcomer auction house founded in 1996, Phillips has a strong global foothold focused on 20th and 21st-century art and design. With annual revenues of over $900 million, it lags behind older houses but remains a driving force in contemporary art auctions. Its best auction result was nearly $40 million for a Basquiat skull painting. Regarding online sales, historic auction houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's count approximately 9% of their sales from digital platforms, while newer houses like Phillips reach about 20%, indicating that live events remain central to top houses, but seamless digital integration gives an edge to recent entrants. These top auction houses constitute a small group with enormous power over the trade in luxury goods and art worldwide. Christie's and Sotheby's stand at the pinnacle as legacy names synonymous with record sales and iconic collections. However, Bonhams and Phillips have emerged as real contenders with their own competitive strengths. #SchweglerAssociated #AuctionHouses #FineArt #Valuables #Insurance

Christie's Auction Sales Plunge by 22%. Should the Art World Be Concerned? Christie's, the world's leading auction house, revealed on Tuesday that it achieved $2.1 billion in live and online auction sales in the first half of 2024. This amount signifies a 22 percent drop compared to the same period last year. In the first half of 2023, Christie's recorded $2.7 billion in live and online auction sales, which was already a 23 percent decline from the $3.5 billion generated during the same timeframe in 2022. Historically, Christie's has disclosed the combined revenues of auction and private sales. However, this year, the house did not report its private sales figures. Between 2021 and 2023, private sales experienced a notable decline, decreasing from $850 million to $484 million. According to Christie's, 41 percent of their buyers this year were based in the Americas, 38 percent in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and 21 percent in Asia. The proportion of Asian buyers decreased by 5 percent from the first half of 2022, falling from 26 percent to 21 percent. This figure was considerably higher in 2021, at 39 percent. For the second consecutive year, Guillaume Cerutti, the house’s CEO, described the market environment as consistently "challenging" during a press conference announcing the results on Tuesday. Despite the overall decline, the house highlighted a positive trend: 29 percent of its clients are millennials and Gen Z, indicating that these collectors are under 40 years old. This percentage is consistent with last year’s figures, suggesting that the 250-year-old business is successfully maintaining the interest of younger collectors. For more auctions in Christie's, please click the link below: https://lnkd.in/d_SWDtkA #artist #artandauction #topauctionhouse #artworksforsale #upcomingauctions #toplots #artistindex #artist #artbider #christies

In the recent Modern and contemporary evening auctions held in London, Christie's emerged victorious with an impressive overall total of £163.3 million (£196.7 million including fees) on March 7, surpassing Sotheby's, which garnered £82.2 million (£99.7 million with fees) the preceding evening. Christie's remarkable £163.3 million sum, representing a 17 percent increase from the previous year, was significantly bolstered by the inclusion of 25 Surrealist masterpieces, among which was the auction's top-selling lot, René Magritte's late work "L'ami intime" (1958), which fetched a staggering £29 million (£33.7 million with fees, estimated value without fees £30 million-£50 million) despite minimal fanfare. This piece was sold from the collection of the late publisher and conductor Gilbert Kaplan and his spouse, who had initially acquired the work for a mere £90,000 at an auction in 1980. The overall results suggest a persistent divergence between auction house estimates and final selling prices in the current cautious market environment. The totals achieved by Sotheby's and Christie's were at the lower end of expectations, which had already been revised downward due to numerous withdrawals, while Phillips' modest sale of £10.9 million (£13.7 million with fees) on March 7 fell short of its lower estimate of £11.7 million. According to dealer Nick Maclean, the bidding at Christie's for Francis Bacon's "Landscape near Malabata, Tangier" (1963) – which was acquired by adviser Francis Outred for £16.8 million (£19.6 million with fees), within the estimated range – encapsulated the broader market sentiment. Maclean states, "Buyers are cautious not to exceed their limits, so the market has lost some of its froth, but there is still stability." The Bacon piece, once part of author Roald Dahl's collection, was reportedly sold last week by hedge fund manager Pierre Lagrange, who is also believed to be the seller of Frank Auerbach's "Head of EOW II" (1964), which fetched £3.3 million (£4 million with fees) at Sotheby's, within its estimated range. Both works had previously been sold through the London dealer Ivor Braka and were offered at auction with third-party guarantees. #artcollecting #artexhibition #artmuseum #artinvesting #artinvestment #artcollector #artnews #artworld #artmarket #artmarketnews #artauction #artgallery #artfair #arthistory #artworld #fair #worldrecord #modernart #impressionism #postwar #contemporaryart #financialtimes #ft #christieslondon #christies #sothebys #sothebyslondon #magritte