What did you think of our two-part series on dealing with mis-identified or poorly catalogued items and shows and/or auctions? Have you encountered this? If so, how did you deal with it?
Okay, really, I'm sure you ALL have encountered this. The fact is, there are thousands of folks out there selling antiques and while many are very very expert in what they sell, many are generalists who do there best, but can't possibly be expected to know everything. Is there a way we can create a marketplace that inspires confidence on the part of buyers rather than the "caveat emptor" attitude that has been used in the past?
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3 comments:
Oh Man! Dont get me started on some auction house descriptions/condition reports. I have emailed some over the years to inquire if they had any plans to join the 20th century, nevermind the 21st, in the near future. I'll just say some houses are happy to do things the way they always have which is fine, i just dont visit their sites at all.
There isn't enough sharing knowledge in the industry, so it's a great topic to share your opinion on.
From the position of someone sharing their knowledge, it's often not worth correcting people at the risk of exciting a problematic personality. With the many research resources available, it's also a sad truth that many owners blind their knowledge to anything that could make their objects less prestigious. Observations are often met with denials or neutral brushoffs like "really, you think so, i didn't notice"
Counterpoint to this are people seeking to clarify opinions on pricing, identification or condition. There are very few experts willing to give honest and prompt replies without a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for them.
Thank goodness for resources like p4a.com
I feel embarassed to say that I can't find the piece that you're referring to - but that it does sound most intresting.
Some auction houses post a good number of quality pictures. Others post just one or two rather small ones. I tend to spend a lot more time looking at the offerings at the ones that post more pictures, even if they're not quite so closely aligned with that I'm looking for. Maybe this is a lesson. After all, it's digital photography - how much cost is involved in taking a few more shots?
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