Even better non-spam source for framed art
Phil
some with really ugly frames, some with the type of frame that doesn't show
(the painting is stretched over the frame), some with good frames.
--
Phil
Gary Heston
I've found tons of it at estate auctions, usually several pieces for
$5-$10. Quite frequently, there's at least one in the stack worth more
than that.
Gary
--
Gary Heston ghe...@hiwaay.net http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
Yoko Onos' former driver tried to extort $2M from her, threating to
"release embarassing recordings...". What, he has a copy of her album?
Phil
> In article <468fa6bc$0$30603$4c36...@roadrunner.com>,
> Phil <ni...@try.to> wrote:
>>I found a whole bunch of $5-$10 decorative art reproductions at Big
>>Lots, some with really ugly frames, some with the type of frame that
>>doesn't show (the painting is stretched over the frame), some with
>>good frames.
>
> I've found tons of it at estate auctions, usually several pieces for
> $5-$10. Quite frequently, there's at least one in the stack worth more
> than that.
Do you mean investment-grade pieces, or purely decorative bits? Although
I've never been to one, my impression of them is that they would be packed
with horrendous giant frames and boring subject matter. What are they
really like?
--
Phil
Gary Heston
One stack of pictures I bought contained three prints depicting French
nobility scenes; two of them are marked "1774" and the other is matches
them. They look to be hand colored, so I suspect they're original. I've
picked up a few Japanese prints and one embroidery on silk, plus two
watercolors on silk that I think are of value.
I have a leaf (page from a book) which dates to about 1849; it's the
petition of the people of New Mexico applying for statehood. I think
it came from a copy of the Federal Record or similar publication.
A print which depicts an antique map in a round frame; the print is
about 36" square, with the map covered with Latin writing. I finally
found out that the original of the map is hanging in a library in
Barcelona, Italy--it was drawn about 1409. The print even shows some
ancillary drawings on the wall around the map. If I could read Latin,
there are hundreds of lines of notes on it. The original map is about
twice the diameter as depicted in the print.
Along with the wheat there's some chaff; a couple of black velvet
cheap/quick landscapes, nondescript prints, amateur paintings, and
so on. Sometimes you have to buy a lot instead of an item to get what
you want. That how auctions are...
Estate sales are all unique; there's no telling what you'll find at one.
A sale for someone who lived in the same neighborhood for decades is more
likely to have nicer items, as would one in a wealthier neighborhood.
The best way to find good items is to go regularly; when you arrive, walk
around for a while and get a feel for the items--if you see things which
indicate the person had some taste (carved wood decorations instead of
injection molded plastic, antique wood furniture instead of vinyl chairs,
etc.) then look for framed items, or boxes of papers, or paintings to
examine more closely. If you see loads of cheap plastic stuff, or crummy
furniture, they probably weren't into collectible or investment-grade
items. This holds true for other collectibles items as well.
However, you can never tell what will turn up in an old box, suitcase,
or trunk. If the area you're in has houses with attics that were used
for storage (not the case where I am), there could be things left behind
by previous owners/residents. One of the early Antiques Roadshow episodes
had a woman bring in a hand-embossed 17th century Italian helment she
found in the attic after buying a house; they appraised it at $250,000.
I haven't gotten that lucky, yet.