Art Auctions - Anyone Besides the Cruise Line and Auction Company Make Money?

[ChevyCruiser]

Just curious, has anyone ever bought some of the "art" auctioned on-board and made a profit on their purchase?

[Kan't Wait]

I can't imagine anyone going through the trouble of buying art on board and then turning around and trying to sell it for a profit.

I would think most people buy the art because they like it and plan on putting in their homes or offices etc...

 

As for buying and selling isn't that is what art dealers and art galleries are for?

[ChevyCruiser]

I was wondering because the auction companies always cite past sale examples and how much this item or that item has appreciated. Has anyone ever actually had a piece appreciate and made a profit on the particular item?

[cherylandtk]

We do not buy art for investment purposes, so I have not sold any of our art purchased onboard. But we did compare prices (not the marked price; the price they would have sold it) at the landside galleries before the cruise and the price difference allowed us to purchase more; as in we got the cruise and the art for the same price as the art alone on land. In checking current sales prices the art has since appreciated. But you do have to do your homework; not all the art is a bargain. And prices in the secondary market do fluctuate.

[rc51001]

My friend bought some on a cruise with us, he said it cost more to have it framed than it did for the pic's.

[luckycruzer]

I was wondering because the auction companies always cite past sale examples and how much this item or that item has appreciated. Has anyone ever actually had a piece appreciate and made a profit on the particular item?

 

if you find someone else that wants to buy it..so much for appreciation

[hammybee]

Those who purchase art while onboard, help make cruising affordable for everyone. Thank you.

[JLC@SD]

Just curious, has anyone ever bought some of the "art" auctioned on-board and made a profit on their purchase?

 

.........I do not consider it art.......they are reproductions that do not sell in the regular "art" venues........so they sell them in phony "auctions".......at sea..........which is not the place to find appreciating legitimate art....;)

 

....if you like the stuff.....you can get a good buy.......but is definitely not investment quality...;)

[0ldog]

To Quote P.T. Barnham ...........

[agru]

.........I do not consider it art.......they are reproductions that do not sell in the regular "art" venues........so they sell them in phony "auctions".......at sea..........which is not the place to find appreciating legitimate art....;)

 

....if you like the stuff.....you can get a good buy.......but is definitely not investment quality...;)

 

Just curious -- I thought the art included original lithographs and etchings, where the actual artist worked on the stone or plate? Is this not true?

[LoneStarJeffe]

I agree. Thank you those who buy thus helping keep the cost of cruising down. :)

 

That said, the question posed is whether art purchases on board can be resold for a profit. You will get many responses pro and con. Here is mine.

 

I do not consider myself knowledgable enough in art to properly judge if what they say about the value of a work is realistic. I therefore choose not to participate. However, if I was going to participate, here is what I would do. I would make a "dry run" cruise noting the value of the piece stated, the price paid, and when I got home - do research on the resell value including but not limited to using eBay. Keep in mind, the descriptions used to describe the piece are CRITICAL to establishing the correct value. "Buyer beware!" applies. I do not want to be paying for what I thought was an original piece when it is actually a reproduction printed by a fancy printing machine in mass quantities. I would consider it my fault for making such a mistake.

 

I would use the dry run cruise to establish the amount of trust I would give the auctioneer's stated value for a piece. I would also make sure I am absolutely familiar with the descriptions and what they mean in terms of value before making any purchases. The cost of framing can be significant and must be considered. The auction fees and shipping fees should also be considered. When added, the total price paid might be higher then expected based on just the bid price.

 

Final thoughts. U.S. consumer protection laws do not apply to auctions at sea. That is another factor to consider as is the amount of personal enjoyment and memories you will have looking at what you purchased.

[Bonnie J.]

Always wondered why they sell art on board. They say prices are better than ashore. But, if you sell anything why do you lower prices unless you really want to get rid of something and the market is small for those items. If I can sell something ashore, why sell at lower price on a ship?

[RHefley228]

I thought the art included original lithographs and etchings, where the actual artist worked on the stone or plate? Is this not true?

 

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. See http://www.studio1617.com/prints.htm for an explanation of terms.

[Doug&Suzy-Q]

We buy for our own pleasure..........on a few cruises, the art auctions have been quite bizzarrrrr:eek: .........absolutely nothing we would even consider...........

In fact as we viewed the pieces we wispered to each other.....who would purchase these items..........of course.....quite a few folks did.

Soooo....like anything else, the value is in the eye of the beholder:D

[Ivanova]

We are very particular. There is only one artist we buy, and we will research the pieces offered onboard to make sure the price onboard is a deal ... if it's not, we skip it. Also, this artist has done some exclusive pieces that you can only get onboard the ships, making them hard to get and more desirable. Of course my problem is that whatever I buy, I'll want to keep and not resell. ;)

[johno95]

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0408artworks0408.html

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=302

 

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

 

One common themes seems to be:

 

1. learn the buzz words the auctioneers use IN ADVANCE. It may be too difficult to learn the lingo while the auction is going on. (You can always attend the first one just for fun.)

 

2. Do not buy with the intent to resell and make money. Buy to put it on your wall, or use as a gift.

 

3. The appraisal certificate is probably of little value. It is related to insurance replacement value, not what you could sell the art for.

 

4. Use your common sense. The auction company is allowed on the ship because the art house and the ship are both making money off of you. You are probably not getting a "steal." (And there is no such thing as truly free champagne.)

 

And as someone on this thread already said, thank everyone for buying art on your ship. It has helped bring down the price of your stateroom. :)

[Ivanova]

4. Use your common sense. The auction company is allowed on the ship because the art house and the ship are both making money off of you. You are probably not getting a "steal." (And there is no such thing as truly free champagne.)

A steal? Definitely not. But with due diligence and a lot of self control you can definitely get a deal.

[johno95]

do you have any tips for getting a deal?

 

A steal? Definitely not. But with due diligence and a lot of self control you can definitely get a deal.

[Solo1959]

Just curious, has anyone ever bought some of the "art" auctioned on-board and made a profit on their purchase?

 

I guess from the responses here the answer to the OP's question would be, "No." No one here that answered yet has made a profit on their purchases. Some people liked the picture and that's why they bought it. My guess is that there are probably better investment options than the art sold on a cruise.

[Ivanova]

do you have any tips for getting a deal?

 

The most important tip is RESEARCH.

 

We buy only Michael Godard pieces of artwork. Unfortunately I've only found his work on Princess and Carnival ships ... he refuses to work with Park West, which happens to run the auctions on Royal Caribbean, Disney, Norwegian Cruise Line, etc.

 

If I see a piece of his for auction on a ship, I use the ship's Internet Cafe and go to various websites include http://www.michaelgodard.com to research it. I find out how much it sells for in a land-based gallery, and compare it to the onboard auction price (and I mean the FINAL price including shipping and any other fees the tack on). It's trickier if it's one of the cruise line exclusive pieces, there is no pricing provided online for those. In those cases I will find similar pieces (in dimension, LE size, type of artwork like gliclee, etc.) and try to concoct a price comparison.

 

I was able to get one of his pieces on a Carnival ship in 2005, and saved myself about 30% when all was said and done.

[Ivanova]

I guess from the responses here the answer to the OP's question would be, "No." No one here that answered yet has made a profit on their purchases. Some people liked the picture and that's why they bought it. My guess is that there are probably better investment options than the art sold on a cruise.

 

I think Solo1959 is right ... I might be able to profit off the Godard pieces I buy, but I only buy what I like so I don't want to part from them. :)