Bloomberg/Business Week Story - Art Auctions at Sea

Not really a surprise, but interesting.....

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-12-14/ever-bought-artwork-on-a-cruise-prepare-to-be-seasick

Park West’s founder and chief executive officer, Albert Scaglione disputed that Park West’s prices are inflated, arguing they’re the market prices for his way of selling art.

In other words, the $600 worth of prints (as appraised by an expert) Park West says are worth $22,000 are worth $22,000... because some idiot on a cruise ship will buy them for that. Albert's not lying. :rolleyes:

All I know is that if I could afford to pay tens of thousands of dollars at a cruise ship art auction I wouldn't be sailing on an over crowed mass market cruise line.

Park West’s founder and chief executive officer, Albert Scaglione disputed that Park West’s prices are inflated, arguing they’re the market prices for his way of selling art.

 

In other words, the $600 worth of prints (as appraised by an expert) Park West says are worth $22,000 are worth $22,000... because some idiot on a cruise ship will buy them for that. Albert's not lying. :rolleyes:

Bingo! That's why they use the "auction" format. That way, they are selling to prices dictated by "consumer demand". :rolleyes: A big *rolleyes* here, too.

But like the circus guy said- there's one born every minute.

This is why they are fondly known as "Fraud West".

Do NOT get me started on 'Art' auctions at sea.....

PLEASE tell me they don't pollute the airways with their calls to come and get your free glass of 'champagne' and free 'art' on Princess. One of the big spoilers of RCL for me.

?..PLEASE tell me they don't pollute the airways with their calls to come and get your free glass of 'champagne' and free 'art' on Princess. One of the big spoilers of RCL for me.

Oh, that I could....but I cannot. While Princess does limit announcements, art auction hoo-haw claptrap is far too common. At least it was on the Regal in August/September.

Oh, that I could....but I cannot. While Princess does limit announcements, art auction hoo-haw claptrap is far too common. At least it was on the Regal in August/September.

Noooooooooo

Do NOT get me started on 'Art' auctions at sea.....

 

PLEASE tell me they don't pollute the airways with their calls to come and get your free glass of 'champagne' and free 'art' on Princess. One of the big spoilers of RCL for me.

Contrary to the previous poster we haven't heard much of that at all. It's posted in the Patter but I don't recall announcements over the PA. There are always crowds of folks who attend and some buy the items and say they love them but I've never seen anything that I wanted to put in my house nor have I seen anything that I thought was reasonably priced. Obviously opinions vary on art.

Not really a surprise, but interesting.....

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2016-12-14/ever-bought-artwork-on-a-cruise-prepare-to-be-seasick

Just what I thought.

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I have just experienced there worst, I bought something, the price was less than I'd pay for a poster at KMart but when I went to collect it, it was promoted as something I could carry off the ship, they wanted $100 "restocking fee". Not only did I tell them where to stick it, I reported it to customer services manager and may well never sail Princess again.

The funny thing is they sold virtually nothing at the auction, less than $500 worth, it makes you wonder how they make any money at all.

Contrary to the previous poster we haven't heard much of that at all. It's posted in the Patter but I don't recall announcements over the PA. There are always crowds of folks who attend and some buy the items and say they love them but I've never seen anything that I wanted to put in my house nor have I seen anything that I thought was reasonably priced. Obviously opinions vary on art.

I really didn't want to drag this thread into a popcorn feast.

Sorry.

I agree with you.

Some of RCL ships have a centrum where they held the auctions.... so walking around meant being aurally assaulted by the man and his mic. I had to restrain myself on a number of occasions from pulling the plug.... sigh.... And on Celebrity when the announcement came on on the PA in my room itself it felt like the last straw.

All I know is that if I could afford to pay tens of thousands of dollars at a cruise ship art auction I wouldn't be sailing on an over crowed mass market cruise line.

That's kind of my attitude. I don't get the art collection thing, and I guess I never will, but there are people who really enjoy it, I guess.

I feel these 'art' auctions are duplicitous in that they provide arbitrary values for the works they sell, and aren't always as forthcoming on what you are actually going to get - the article does a good job explaining this.

Like many things on vacation, people tend to enter a bubble, filled with sunshine, booze and away from the typical worries of life. It's buyer beware for sure and I find it unfortunate the cruise lines support this industry in the way they do.

I get upset at all the paper wasted (on Princess) with separate ads for Park West auctions. Just more for the recycle bin. :(

I can't really complain about the art auctions on the ship since the one and only time I actually "bought" something they ended up giving it to me for free. I rarely even go since I hate the so-called champagne they give out and I'm not much of an art person, but a couple of years ago my husband and I wandered through looking at the pictures shortly before the auction and a lovely little print of 2 little girls walking on a beach caught my eye. I'd never heard of the artist (and still can't tell you who it is) but it reminded me of me and my sister growing up in Florida and wandering the beaches. It was in a horrible frame and I knew I'd reframe it but I figured maybe I'd hang around for the auction and see what it was offered at. After reading the linked article in the first post I now realize I could've approached them before the auction and maybe gotten a better price, but whatever....

So the auction started and nobody bought the first few things that came up. Then my picture came up and they were asking $75. I decided it was worth that much to me so I bid and of course nobody else bid. I won a free bottle of champage for being the first "winner" of an auction (which I ended up taking to our table one night at dinner and giving to my tablemates). This was a fairly small picture and they had said they were auctioning off the actual picture that was there onboard so the winner would have to carry it off the ship. I was told to check with the auctioneer on the next-to-last day of the cruise to pay and pick up my picture.

What I didn't mention was at the beginning of the auction the auctioneer had announced this was the last cruise for this particular company (wasn't Park West but I've forgotten who it was) and they would be leaving and another company was coming in. That may have had a bearing on his attitude. Anyway, when I went to pick it up he carefully packaged it for me for our flight home and when I tried to pay him or give him my Sea Card he waved me off and said to not worry about it. I'm sure $75 was nothing to him compared to the big $$$ pictures he was hoping to sell, and as I said he may have not had a real good attitude about his employment, but I decided not to argue.

So now I have a lovely picture that reminds me of my sister every time I look at it. I had it nicely framed for about $40 and it's worth every penny to me. It would've been worth it to me if I had paid the $75 too, but whatever.

Even so, I still consider the art auctions to be a ripoff and waste of time and a source of really bad champagne. But I'll still probably wander through and look at the pictures and if something appeals to me maybe I'll see if I can get what I consider a reasonable price on it. But it'll be MY idea of reasonable and will have nothing to do with their "appraisal" values.

I had the opposite experience to frisbeewife: on a recent cruise I won a "free" artwork from Park West -- and then they demanded $35 to ship it to me. Would not let me carry it off the ship. This was on Azamara, and I was very pleased to read shortly after my cruise that Azamara has ended their association with Park West.

Not sure why Art is only thing griped about. Jewelry, watches , booze, Effe sold as fine jewelry should have just as much attention

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Not sure why Art is only thing griped about. Jewelry, watches , booze, Effe sold as fine jewelry should have just as much attention

It's the format. I don't believe they auction: jewelry, watches, booze, Effe...

That's kind of my attitude. I don't get the art collection thing, and I guess I never will, but there are people who really enjoy it, I guess.

My appreciation of art is limited to what they sell at Bed Bath and Beyond or Home Goods. Although my son presented us with a canvas that he created at what I call drunk paint night. Basically it's evening of drinking wine and a painting lesson. Now that's something I would pay to do on a cruise ship.

Yeah, you have to wonder why the cruise companies haven't picked up on that "get a little sloshed and paint a picture" trend.

Oh, and I just wanted to thank the above poster for the "hoo-haw claptrap" comment. Love it! :D

This is a Park West run operation.. though Princess, and the other lines, do allow them to sell.

IMO, when it was Princess Fine Arts (I think that's what it was called) there was a completely different, less pressure vibe. Additionally, the pieces were explained as to what they were so at least one would know the type of piece one MIGHT by buying. I say this since PFA was a totally different operation. And, from what I was interested in, actually offered pieces that I could find at galleries...and at a lower price.

Sad to see them go.. though I spend a few dollars less these days.

PW does come across as worse than many infomercials. And FWIW, the author of the piece didn't need to bring up the "champagne." It's not like one can get hammered on the one glass of it. There were enough other issues to shame the auction.

Just what I thought.

 

 

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Ditto!!

Tony

The funny thing is they sold virtually nothing at the auction, less than $500 worth, it makes you wonder how they make any money at all.

As I walked by a Park West art auction on a Princess ship I heard the announcement congratulating someone who had purchased $28,000 worth of "art." To show their appreciation, they gave him a bottle of the $1 sparkling wine that Princess has for such occasions.

To show their appreciation, they gave him a bottle of the $1 sparkling wine that Princess has for such occasions.

... which was 750 ml of carbonated paint thinner donated by the artist.