Anyone actually participate/purchase from art auctions?

[quercus alba]

Sailing on Epic this summer--was just wondering what this is actually like. Any great deals/steals?

[cartervan]

Yeah, I've wondered that too. Must be that people buy, or else all the cruise lines wouldn't do it.

[iheartbda]

Here's some interesting reading.

http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_cruise_art_auctions_scam_fraud.htm

 

A quick Goggle search will yield more.;)

[cmdchiefthom]

I can't imagine anyone getting conned into buying prints, posters, copies, of artwork aboard ships. Because buyers are aboard a ship, somehow there is something different about the status of these copies, or frauds. Over the past decade, I've seen nothing but pain and agony here on these boards regarding fraud, misrepresentations, unresponsive shore-side services, and wouldn't buy a 3x5 photo of my mother from these "art experts"!;) ,

[Dannie138]

On my recent Gem cruise, a person from the art gallery said they had sold $250,000 worth of art that cruise. (Not sure how truthful that was...we were just walking through and have never gone to the auctions)

[Davechipp74]

the only deal at art auctions at sea is free champagne. :D

as for buying art it is strongly advised that you dont.

[Dipsylee]

We have bought several items at art auctions at sea. Not for any investment purposes, but because we found a work of art we had never seen before, and loved. All have been shipped as promised, and have been enjoyed by us for years now. Many cruises we don't buy, but just go to see whats being offered. But we do occasionally find something we really want. On one cruise we did see someone buy a painting for $42,000. And several couples on that cruise were sailing free because of the amount of art they buy. One woman owned a gallery, and was buying inventory.

[sjbdtz]

We've bought 2 originals, 4 hand-embellished posters (giclees), and 1 signed & numbered print on various cruises.

 

We had to have the originals restretched, and the Art Gallery paid a local framer to do it. We changed our mind about one of the pieces, and got it changed to another in the series...before shipping.

 

We also cancelled 4 pieces from one of the shipments, all without breaking a sweat.

 

 

We didn't buy the art as investment, but rather as decoration & souvenir.

 

 

.

[MMMD]

Sailing on Epic this summer--was just wondering what this is actually like. Any great deals/steals?

 

While sitting at the bar just before the art auction, we were approached to sign up & get a number so we could bid.

 

We were told that there were some "great deals" and that the starting bids would be low. I said I would wait till after it began and decide if I then wanted to participate. (personally I really didn't wish to fill out the info card and have them bother me for the rest of my life)

 

The first sketch was said to be worth 27K (he said it was a Picasso, but really, how would I know this was true?), but the starting bid would be something like 21K.

 

I called the woman over who spoke to me beforehand and asked her where they arrived at a 27K price for the piece.

 

Her answer? " I don't know". I then asked her to find out or I would ask out loud.

 

The main 'auctioneer' went into a spiel about how they use appraisers and others sales to determine their prices. I raised my hand and asked who the appraisers were. The answer? Their own "in house" appraisers.

 

People laughed when he said it, and about a dozen people left.

 

We stuck around for a bit, but left after they wanted people to fill out their 'financing' form so you could have your (overinflated) art and pay them in installments.

 

I walked to the desk and asked to see some paperwork concerning these works of art and to get the name of the appraisal company. They told me the information I asked for was "confidential".

 

Some people did bid on things, but again I don't know if they are true bidders or plants.

 

I personally wouldn't buy a post card from these people.

 

Buyer beware.

[johnql]

I usually attend some of the art auctions. I enjoy hearing about the artists and some of the specific pieces. If the auctioneer is informative and engaging, it can be a lot of fun. My rule of thumb is to bid only on a piece that I like, that I can envision on my walls, and I set a maximum price that I'm willing to pay. I never bid on something as a possible investment. I stick to my approach even though I do indulge in some of the free champagne. As for fraud, if you listen carefully to what the auctioneer says, you'll know what you're bidding on (e.g., original, lithograph, etc.).

[DaisyA]

My boyfriend and I have bought a few signed/numbered lithos on NCL and we've been very happy with everything. I agree with johnql, just listen to the auctioneer, only buy what you like and pay what you think it is worth. The auctions can be a lot of fun and you can come away with some nice art you probably wouldn't find otherwise for that bare spot above your couch!

 

That said, I would not purchase a "major" artist from a cruise ship, if you're in the market for a Dali or a Chagall there are plenty of places stateside to do that! ;)

[NMLady]

I never buy at the art auctions. I don't have that kind of money. But I enjoy walking around with a glass of the free champagne, looking at the works of art, then staying for at least part of the auction to see what kinds of prices the pieces start at.

One time I used one of the auction stickers given us and I put it on a painting that I wanted to be in the auction. I was curious as to what price it would start at and if anyone would buy it. It started at $75 and was sold at $130. Some of the frames are worth that alone.

 

On two different cruises my husband won one of the paintings being raffled off in the free drawing. One of the paintings, a huge desert scene, hangs in his 'man cave' above his computer. I would have had him hang it in our livingroom but we live in a mobile home and there's just no wall space.

That painting was already framed and since it was a 'freebie' we had to pay for the shipping, but we enjoy the painting so didn't mind that cost.

 

The other auction piece he won is a collage of tiny pictures that, when viewed from a distance, make up a copy of the Mona Lisa. That one was unframed and mailed to us in a sturdy cardboard tube (again we paid the shipping since the painting was free). That one is still in its tube. We haven't wanted to pay for a suitable frame since there's no place to hang it.

 

At any rate, we enjoy the art auctions.

[Happy HALer]

1.) It is not a true auction. They will not sell an item for less than their minimum price even though they start the bidding lower than that and hope for a bidding war to drive the price above their minimum. You can buy the art for their minimum without going through the phiny auction part.

 

2.) They have exclusivity with some artists and thereby set their own "values".

 

3.) The auctions are at sea. U.S. laws do not apply. Why did Park West stop selling any of their Dali pieces in the States?

 

4.) You pay for you purchases through the ship, thereby making it a third party transaction which reduces any chance of any help from your credit card company.

[erdoran]

I am not into art, but I would never ever buy a high value item without due diligence and some extensive research into value and "gotchas"--whether art, jewelry, or a cruise! I read the linked article and, believe it or not, while I thought the abuses referenced there were awful, they were not unexpected. It's sad how people can be taken advantage of, and it's also sad how people get carried away with the moment, and make a huge purchase without doing their homework!

[newmexicoNita]

Sailing on Epic this summer--was just wondering what this is actually like. Any great deals/steals?

 

I doubt any of the work is deals or steals, but if you see a piece you like, go for it. Our daughter and son in law have a house full of Art work purchansed on cruises. We have just a couple of pieces. Would I buy a piece for investment? Heck no, and would I pay big bucks? Heck no, one reason, like NMLady we do not have that kind of money and 2-if we did I would want to purchase a piece from USA so if there is a problem I know I have someone to fall back on. That being it is fun to attend and you never know, you might find just the perfect piece for that hallway space or the living room wall.

 

Nita

[raventhebouv]

LOL...we only go for the free champagne! :D

[stanmoto98]

My wife managed a well established gallery in the Midwest for several years and still has a pretty good idea on the value of many artist. As she puts it, there are no "deals" at the onboard galleries. But there are some decent values to be had.

 

We were on the Jewel a couple years ago and there was an original Peter Max "Lady Liberty" that truly moved me. It was priced at $8000... not a bargain but a good value. Had I been in the mood to spend that much and had a decent place for display I would have purchased the piece... after privately negotiating the terms of sale.

 

Art is such a subjective thing! And in my opinion there are three kinds of people who view art. There are those who view it as an investment, purely looking at it from a financial point of view. There are those that view it as a visceral experience, where the art creates some kind of emotion. And there are those that just don't get it.

[garycarla]

I just don't get buying artwork on a cruise ship.

 

Then again, I don't get buying jewelry in a foreign port of call, be it Cancun, St Thomas, St Martin, Alaska, etc.

 

Or "gold by the inch".

 

Or booze for $8 less a bottle than at home.

 

I just don't get it.

[erdoran]

I just don't get buying artwork on a cruise ship.

 

Then again, I don't get buying jewelry in a foreign port of call, be it Cancun, St Thomas, St Martin, Alaska, etc.

 

Or "gold by the inch".

 

Or booze for $8 less a bottle than at home.

 

I just don't get it.

 

you lost me on the booze line, I was with you till then....

[sjbdtz]

I just don't get buying artwork on a cruise ship.

 

Then again, I don't get buying jewelry in a foreign port of call, be it Cancun, St Thomas, St Martin, Alaska, etc.

 

Or "gold by the inch".

 

Or booze for $8 less a bottle than at home.

 

I just don't get it.

 

 

Taxes are the main thing. I bought a Cartier watch for myself, to celebrate the end of a particularly good year at work.

 

List price at home: $2800 + 13% tax.

List price in Costa Maya: $2800 + No tax.

 

I bought it at home, because the store was reputable, I know where to take it for warranty / servicing, etc. and the $300 premium (taxes) was worth it to me as peace-of-mind (plus I bought it before the cruise) :)

 

On the other hand, I bought a Movado during the cruise... I priced it, Googled it on my Blackberry to see what it retailed for in Toronto, found equivalent discounted pricing, and saved the tax.

 

 

As for the artwork, I don't spend a lot of time hanging around galleries, despite living very close to several.... so the cruises are some of the only times I get to think about art (again...as decoration, not investment).

 

.

[NoleMini]

As many have said, if you get something you like, great. We have several pieces we have acquired over the years, some for $35 (framed too!) (and that is in response to the poster who said they could not afford it...) and enjoy it thoroughly. We got a few and had them framed on return, quickly learned NOT to do that, cheaper to buy and frame thru the art company. I can go to Kincaids or similar and get actual "posters" that are framed for $80, whereas on the cruise I can get something hand signed and numbered for less than that with careful purchasing. Ebay has similar pricing, but then you are out tax, shipping, etc.

It is not for everyone, but then I never set foot in the casino, feeling the slots are not at all like Tunica or Biloxi. :eek::D

[DEL67]

In past years I bought a number of pictures at the art auctions. Not for investment - just ones that I liked and wanted to hang it my house. I stopped attending art auctions when I ran out of places to hang them.

 

I have seen other pictures by some of the artists in local galleries. Generally they cost more then what I paid aboard ship. So I would say I got good value, but no bargains.

[mydreamvacation]

Art is such a subjective thing! And in my opinion there are three kinds of people who view art. There are those who view it as an investment, purely looking at it from a financial point of view. There are those that view it as a visceral experience, where the art creates some kind of emotion. And there are those that just don't get it.

 

I agree! I fell in love with Anatole Krasnyansky'sPicasso like embellished limited edition seriographs years ago and have purchased several on board ships. I definately paid less than what it would cost in my local gallery and the framing is beautiful.I was fortunate enough to be able to afford a one of a kind work of his at what I consider an exellent price but to someone else it may seem worthless. Are they investments? Who knows maybe when he passes they will be worth much more than I paid but the joy I get from looking at them is priceless and I wouldn't sell them even if they sky rocketed.

[mjkacmom]

you lost me on the booze line, I was with you till then....

 

Me too - love those cheap bottles of Absolute!

[Matt4nyc]

The art auction always make me laugh. On the Jewel last month, the main auctioneer wore this nice suit like they always do. This one had a British accent to try to garnish up some respect. He would talk about the pieces as if this was the first time he saw them. He used terms like "special" and "one of a kind". Then, he would start the bidding at eight thousand dollars and talk really fast while pointing around the room. The other art workers who are dispersed around the room would shout things like "oh!" and "Yes!". Some said "WHOO!". The real passengers never made a peep. Then, no one would bid on the piece, the suit guy banged his gavel on this wood panel, and the other art workers clapped really loudly even though nothing happened. It was funny to watch the passengers just start clapping because they were wasted off one glass of "champagne". This is turning into one my favorite events on the ship. I think that NCL needs to have a new event where passengers can learn to become art auctioneers - maybe they can tie it in to a martini tasting or something.