Art Auctions and 2009 Pricing

[kappellof]

Over the past several years of cruising on Princess I've frequented the onboard art auctions and have occasionally purchased art. I've noticed over the recent 2-3 years that the reserved pricing has slowly crept upwards.

 

Now with the economy hitting bottom I'm wondering if any of you have been to the art auctions in recent months and have noticed a change downwards in the reserved price of art pieces.

[Pia1913]

Over the past several years of cruising on Princess I've frequented the onboard art auctions and have occasionally purchased art. I've noticed over the recent 2-3 years that the reserved pricing has slowly crept upwards.

 

Now with the economy hitting bottom I'm wondering if any of you have been to the art auctions in recent months and have noticed a change downwards in the reserved price of art pieces.

 

Just off the Pacific. Prices are way too high, and of course there's the "buyer's premium" tacked on to that. Buy your art at home.

[wg6530]

Buy your art at home.

 

I agree.

[gertz]

Did go to one last week on the Sapphire. Didn't buy any thing. Champagne was ok.

Seriously IMO Princess pushes their buying power 33 ships they say. Princess has 17 so don't know which others there talking about. They also push a lot of lithographs which is more or less a paper print with a signature wrapped in an expensive frame. Not for us,, well almost---guess it depends on the signature and if it was one I wanted probably couldn't afford it.

Jack

for the art expert

[blindrid]

I truly didn't know too many people bought the "art" onboard.

[davidnsteph]

We just finished a Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess. We usually walk through the auction preview, to see if anything interests us. Nothing caught our eye, though. We used to buy art on Princess ships years ago when the prices were lower.

 

However, there was a special art auction where all reserve bids were less than $500. This was the 1st time we have heard of this. Maybe there will be more of these in the future. Then we may be more interested in buying art again.

 

DavidnSteph

[ssbeagle]

In the years of going to the art auctions on board I have never bought anything until our cruise to Hawaii in Nov/Dec 08. We had been pricing Wylands and it was actually much cheaper on board even with the premium. So I bought my first shipboard picture. Also, we had a very good auctioneer who didn't pull the wool over people's eyes the way some of them do. She was personable and very good. She sold a lot of art on that cruise. Most of the art she did sell was under $500, though.

[Parrot Mom]

After buying from Park West I was looking forward to the art auctions on the Pacific Princess..what a disappointment in work..much of it way overpriced. Parrot Pop did attend one auction to buy the, what I thought was overpriced Marilyn Monroe piece..The art auction was too long and boring..prices very high... although one acrylic piece for $3500.00 was sold. The auctioneer didn't like the comparision of Park West.. There was a Peter Maxx framed so terribly that it only detracted from the small piece..

[Times Prince]

there was a special art auction where all reserve bids were less than $500. This was the 1st time we have heard of this. Maybe there will be more of these in the future. Then we may be more interested in buying art again.

There was one of these on our last Emerald Princess cruise as well and we bought a Martiros Ltd Ed for under $500, fully framed. I just looked it up online at artbrokerage, which usually tracks the prices pretty well and that same Ltd edition print has a retail price of $3,600 and asking price of $2,000. They are also selling the original at $23K.

 

So there are some good deals to be had, if you know what you are looking at and the going prices from reputable dealers. Tracking other prices, we have not lost value on any art we purchased.

 

Of course the prices have gone up. I sure can't get that 36 cents/gallon gas I used to when I was younger either.

[Parrot Mom]

If there was a Matiros for under $500.00 and you bought it....it was a steal... We bought Dream Journey years ago and heard it was well over $6,000.00 now

[Times Prince]

Check out my avatar and CC name. Bought that onboard for much, much, much less than $6000. We know the price has gone up but it is one of those fantastic pictures that you never see on online art sites - no one, especially us, want to part with it! I hope you are enjoying yours as well.

[TomCruises]

I have purchased from Park West Gallery in the past. They do a nice job! Just remember, art is a personal luxury not an investment!

[Parrot Mom]

Really enjoy their auctions, their "take offs"..lol..last auction on a ship with them I came home with TEN..Poor Parrot Pop... Also, liked the auctioneers who are very "into" the artists and are passionate.

[Richie2pies]

Most "art at sea" is overpriced IMHO. Their framing and shipping costs make it easier to buy at home.

[chipmaster]

Over the past several years of cruising on Princess I've frequented the onboard art auctions and have occasionally purchased art. I've noticed over the recent 2-3 years that the reserved pricing has slowly crept upwards.

 

Now with the economy hitting bottom I'm wondering if any of you have been to the art auctions in recent months and have noticed a change downwards in the reserved price of art pieces.

 

 

Art auctions are HUGE profit center for the cruisers. On my last cruise this summer there seemed to be cheap stuff and also expensive stuff, no different then the cruises years past.

 

It really goes beyond price. Cruise lines are one of the biggest purchasers of art and likely get good prices, but I'd never spend "serious" money at a ship auction without really knowing the price on land in other galleries.

 

BTW I've bought art at them auctions some for a few hundred and I did spend serious money once on a Wyland like the other poster. But having been to several of his galleries already had a pretty good idea of pricing.

[emileg]

...Seriously IMO Princess pushes their buying power 33 ships they say. Princess has 17 so don't know which others there talking about. ...

 

Jack

for the art expert

Princess is part of Carnival Corporation. The same auction service operates on Princess and some, but not all, of the other Carnival owned cruise lines. Hence, 33 ships.

[didisea]

Be sure you know what you are buying and the relative value. Check out the website

http://www.fineartregistry.com/

They have some interesting articles on Park West. I don't think Princess uses Park West though, but definetly would not buy a Dali onboard!

[gertz]

Princess is part of Carnival Corporation. The same auction service operates on Princess and some, but not all, of the other Carnival owned cruise lines. Hence, 33 ships.

 

 

:eek:

 

 

Jack

for the confused art expert

[cruiserus]

Princess uses Global Fine Arts, not Park West. I have bought a few pieces of art from them, because I liked the individual pieces and found the price reasonable. Many giclees are frequently hand-embellished by the artist, which they only do for Princess. These items generally sell for much more in a land-based gallery. I check it out online before I purchase. You do not pay extra for framing. It is included in the price. I have not seen any significant increase of prices over the last few years. In fact, now I see more lower priced art being included, which the auctioneer said was due to the economy.

[davidnsteph]

On our earlier Princess cruises, when we purchased most of our art, it was through Princess Fine Arts. This was printed on the certificates and other paperwork. Then about 3 years ago when we purchased our last piece of art we noticed that the name on the paperwork was Global Fine Arts. Can anyone tell us if Princess Fine Arts changed names, or is this a completely different operation? Thanks.

 

DavidnSteph

[2buggers]

Park West is a rip off!

[tispwisp]

We have never been involved or interested in art auctions until our last cruise on the Grand. However, we found ourselves drawn to the art gallery and ended up purchasing several Shvaiko's and a couple of Behrens' pieces. We did research prices on the internet before we bought and found the ship prices to be very reasonable - especially since they were framed. They have started coming in and we are very pleased with the pieces and with the service we received from Global Fine Arts.

 

From what the Grand's art director told us is that Princess Fine Arts was so successful that when Carnival bought out Princess, they decided to use Princess Fine Arts for several of their other lines and therefore changed the name from Princess Fine Arts to Global Fine Arts.

 

I doubt that we will make a habit of art buying as it can be a pricy endeavor, but we learned a lot about art. We bought a new house last year and needed art for the walls; hence, the purchases.

[Parrot Mom]

I doubt that we will make a habit of art buying as it can be a pricy endeavor, but we learned a lot about art. We bought a new house last year and needed art for the walls; hence, the purchases.

 

 

 

FAMOUS LAST WORDS..LOL. It can be an addiction...Parrot Pop just bought a Marilyn Monroe piece this trip.

[denmarks]

On our earlier Princess cruises, when we purchased most of our art, it was through Princess Fine Arts. This was printed on the certificates and other paperwork. Then about 3 years ago when we purchased our last piece of art we noticed that the name on the paperwork was Global Fine Arts. Can anyone tell us if Princess Fine Arts changed names, or is this a completely different operation? Thanks.

 

DavidnSteph

Global Fine Arts is owned by Princess.

[ssbeagle]

You should never buy art because it will evaluate in price; you should buy it because you like it and plan to enjoy it.

 

BTW, when we received our Wyland it was the original that was on the ship. It had the same slight dent in the frame as the one on the ship had. So I guess it was their last one. I love it anyway and enjoy looking at it just about every day.