What's with all these art galleries?

[DirtyDawg]

😭  Are you guys saying that those peices of "fine" art were not painted by Pauly Picasso,  Vinny van Gogh, Clyde Monet, or Remington Steelbrant? 

Edited April 28, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[soonernstlouis]

11 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

😭  Are you guys saying that those peices of "fine" art were not painted by Pauly Picasso,  Vinny van Gogh, Clyde Monet, or Remington Steelbrant? 

To me art appreciation is about what you are looking at rather than whose painting it is (real or not).  I would never buy art off a ship anyway.

 

I remember about 40 years ago as a kid waiting in line outside a restaurant that had art & furniture on display in the window.  A painting by Thomas Kinkaide caught my eye.  Probably would have bought it had it been affordable & I was older.  Didn’t know it at the time how much of Kinkaide’s work was farmed out/his students work or out-right forgeries. It has impacted the value of his art and his legacy but I still like it.

[Underwatr]

For what it's worth, Cunard still has the galleries but no longer sells via the "auction" format.

[Hlitner]

The business plan of mass market cruise lines puts a lot of emphasis on "maximizing onboard revenue."  Put it simple terms, cruise lines are always looking for ways to separate passengers from their money.  Art Auctions are among the most profitable events on a ship (the shore excursion desk is another big profit center).  We know a guy who used to be one of the more successful art auctioneers on Princess.  He has a very large home in Florida, travels the world for fun, and its all paid for by the money he made selling art on Princess ships.   He told us that many cruisers leave their brains at home and spend their money with little regard to whether they are getting good value.  Much of the art work sold on ships has huge mark-ups and is not worth anywhere near the value paid.  But some cruisers continue to enjoy the auctions and are willing to spend lots of money.   Folks have often told us about the great deals they got at onboard auctions.  But I have yet to meet anyone who sold something they purchased on a ship...and made a profit.  And one needs to beware of appraisals.  If you insure things like art or jewelry your premium is based on the appraised value.  The higher the value, the higher the insurance premium.  But most policies do not guarantee to pay off the insured amount and will often seek to replace an item rather then pay cash.   And as you can imagine, they are often able to find comparable replacements for a fraction of what you would pay.  Lots of the art sold on ships are giclée....yet many folks who purchase giclée's do not even know the word.  They are generally high quality copies made by sophisticated printers.  There is really no limit to the number of copies that can be generated...although artists may seek to limit the total number of copies.   One claim to fame of Park West is that they own the rights to the giclée's and originals of a few artists.  In a sense they have a license to spit out more copies, as needed.   

 

Hank

[happy cruzer]

There are many things on the cruise that is contracted out...  Art sales, photo sales, casinos, and spas come to mind.  The cruise claims not to be responsible for the service.

[navybankerteacher]

Buying reproductions on a cruise is fine - as long as you recognize the facts:  the line dedicates the space because the line will profit.  The only way the line can profit is if the people selling the reproductions get a high enough price for them to be willing to share. For there to be that high a price means that the gullible sucker buying the reproductions is paying a lot (logically speaking:  too much) for those reproductions.

 

Do not, for a minute, think that you are buying anything other than over-priced reproductions.  If you are interested in quality reproductions at reasonable prices, go to art museums ( perhaps those which specialize in the sort of visual art you like) and check out their gift shops.

[getting older slowly]

Question... For anybody who has been to an art auction.....

 

About how many pieces do they sell per auction ???

 

and do any pieces do not sell ?

 

Cheers Don

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

Question... For anybody who has been to an art auction.....

 

About how many pieces do they sell per auction ???

 

and do any pieces do not sell ?

 

Cheers Don

I went to one (on a slow day) more than a dozen years ago.  In the hour I was there I think I noted about ten pieces sold for a total of just a few thousand $ - out of the more than a hundred shown and several dozen offered. For the two people doing the selling to “earn” their compensation/cost of sailing and for the line to get its “piece of the action“ that few thousand $ must have been a whole lot more than what those reproductions were actually worth.

[George C]

We actually bought two paintings a few years ago nothing that costly and we liked how they looked . 

[getting older slowly]

4 hours ago, George C said:

We actually bought two paintings a few years ago nothing that costly and we liked how they looked . 

 

I think you have said it all  "we liked how they looked "'

 

Art is in eye of the beholder...... and if you like it that is all that matters.....

 

Cheers Don

[DirtyDawg]

6 hours ago, George C said:

We actually bought two paintings a few years ago nothing that costly and we liked how they looked . 

 

1 hour ago, getting older slowly said:

 

I think you have said it all  "we liked how they looked "'

 

Art is in eye of the beholder...... and if you like it that is all that matters.....

 

Cheers Don

 

"we liked how they looked" is not all that matters. You also might want to factor in the cost of the art pieces. 

 

These art auctions on cruise ships are an expensive way to acquire a piece that has a look that you like. If that extra expense is worth it to you, for the buying at sea experience, go for it. What many posters are saying here is that extra expense is not worth it for them. 

 

Happy Sailing and Art Shopping!

 

Edited April 30, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[Underwatr]

3 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

"we liked how they looked" is not all that matters

What getting over slowly is saying is that George C needn't care what you or I think about the particulars of his purchase. 

[K32682]

Auctions are fun to watch.  A little shill bidding can be entertaining too if you are cautious. 

[MicCanberra]

I am not into the art on cruise ships but then I am not into any of the jewellery shops, clothes shops, photo studio either. They obviously make money for the operators and the cruise lines or else they would quickly be replaced by something else.