Let the auction analysis begin!
Hi guys! Some of you may know me from my monthly newsletter, The Forbes Collector, where I try and help collectors understand “what’s good” and how to navigate the closed, clubby world of galleries and auction houses. This blog is an extension of those efforts.
One of my regular newsletter features is called Marketwatch, where I list recent notable sales and unpack the prices for the uninitiated. Why DID someone part with record amounts of cash for this or that item at auction? Were they crazy? Or crazy like a fox?
I love the puzzle of the prices: Was it something about the piece itself? Its quality? Condition? Rarity? Ownership history? Had it been shopped around too much? Or was the price more a function of the larger market for that material? Or….was it something in the air in the salesroom that day? How many bidders? How ardent? What was the mood? Sometimes it’s simply what I like to call “two freaks in a room.” They have to have it, the testosterone is flowing, and they’ll duke it out to til the cows come home.
I’ll post a few times a week, with interesting sales information on everything from old master drawings to vintage cars to rock and roll memorabilia. I know, I know. You’re a tad confused. The blog’s called artmarketinsider.com, right? I WILL cover art….lots and lots of it. But it just happens that I’ll also cover much, much more. More fun for everyone.
Hey….and last time I looked, these things were interactive, so please feel free to respond to any of my postings, especially if you have something helpful or informative to add to the dialogue.
Happy collecting!
