Why buy art at auction?
ARTinvestment.RU   03 ноября 2016

There is always more, where newcomers are manipulated, there are dealers hyping "their" — because all you heard of it? What fables are not around there is one of the most transparent forms of trading art

of Course, each of the auction "horror stories" can be illustrated with supporting examples. That's just the scale of such disasters is greatly exaggerated. Otherwise, auctions are quickly closed. And this, fortunately, is not so.

What is good to buy art at auction?

1. The collector will have enough time to verify or question the authenticity of works offered for sale. For this purpose there are all conditions. You can effortlessly consult with experts, take your time to view the work of — train's not going anywhere. In addition, during the public presentation of the catalog of the organizers of the auction will also be able to receive signals from experts and timely remove the job if it's what-то not.

2. In the hands of the new owner remains the documents from the auction, proving his ownership of the purchased work.

3. Thing, purchased at auction, after a-то time (preferably three years) will be put on the same auction. And the organizers probably will take it.

4. At auction you can buy a product cheaper than I galleries or private dealers. And it happens not so rare. What auctions do you buy always at the maximum price, — is a myth.

For sellers (i.e., deliverers) auctions convenient for other reasons:

1. Clear planning horizon. Auction know in advance what day will be known result: either sold or not. While in the case, say, with a gallery of terms not clear: the painting may be sold and six months and a year easily.

2. You receive access to a wide audience of buyers. Personal when the sellers have probably worked. And to new customers except through the auction and do not get. Another option is to fairs, but they are rare.

However, there is a auctions for sale-продажи art and such features that not everyone will like. The results of the auctions are published in the databases of auction results (we including). It is convenient for the buyers and the organizers of the auction, as it helps to navigate the real market prices. But, for example, write about unsold lots are also in the database of auction results. This provokes different divination on the topic "why not sold". Maybe too expensive put? Or, worse, with the work that-нибудь wrong? Even if the picture is OK (which is likely), anyway, it begins to drag on a negative loop. And sell it will be harder for the owner will have to lower the reserve price or to give a "otvisetsya" a few years. In the case of a gallery, in contrast to the auction, this unwanted publicity can not be afraid.

For those who had never participated in the auction, we have some recommendations:

1. Visit several art auctions to understand how things work and what happens in the courtroom. Go there, even if you're not going to buy anything this time. To be ashamed is not worth it. Not forced to buy, and do auction events form is very democratic. Dress-код missing. No strict rituals, no. To the extent that if you took the plate and suddenly decided to participate — raise your hand, bet is placed, and the plate will bring you later. Sense the presence of the auction — to feel the pace, to understand the rules andpersonally to make sure that any attempts to cheat in the hall immediately noticeable.

2. Take the buying decision only after pre-inspect the item. Personally. Not on the photo. Even if auction technically takes place online, without bidding in the hall, to go to pre-show anyway. To us, Gorokhovsky, 7, including. To avoid disappointment. Noticed that the big showy things when photographing a lot to lose, and the average, on the contrary, win. In addition, explaining, "I never saw such a defect." "I didn't know" and the like after the auction is not accepted.

3. If a thing like that, but a preliminary assessment of the auction house (estimate) is too high for you, it still makes sense to make the minimum bet. It so happens that the other candidates have "missed" this item or decide that the fight is hopeless for him. In such cases, it is possible that will benefit even the minimum bet.

With the basic things, we assume, finished. And now, perhaps, to the most important. The fact that all of the above only applies to the good auctions. And do not think that all auctions are good, —, it is not so. There are high-end auctions (sotbey-кристисы), the purchase of which is already in itself provides for things a good provenance (history of life). There is a middle peasants — such as local auctions, concerned about the reputation (that is the majority of the Moscow auctions). And there are small and medium-sized foreign auctions, which indulges in all serious. They seems cheap, but for authenticity nobody cares, fake exhibited in batches, and complaints of scholars, no one responds. For example, directories individual small European auction just-таки full of "Russian avant-garde". At particular risk — small American auction, which sold tens Russian "Zverev", "Yakovlev", "Krasnopevtsev" and other fakes. This is usually a fake low-grade, but there are quite skillful, which are hard to recognize.

it would Seem, find a fake, the buyer is entitled to demand their money, and the auction is obliged to return them, because the purchase is made not in the alley, and officially on the American auction. As it is not so! Small auctions make the rules of their work conditions so that the refund issue was almost impossible. For example, declare the warranty for about a month. During this time, to bring the work in Russia, to make the examination and handle a claim impossible. That's what the calculation. In General, ARTinvestment.RU strongly advises novice collectors to purchase paintings and drawings on small Western online-аукционах. Yes, among them there are decent home in which there are good things, but until then, until we begin to understand the subject matter, these sites are not for you: the risk to purchase a fake from the very beginning to be disappointed in collecting is too high.

At the big auctions, grants, and authenticity are all much better and the warranty is several years, e.g. three years. If there are punctures, this period is sufficient enough to substantiate the claim. But with the return of the money will still have to Tinker — is not in the store.

once again important. When in doubt as to the authenticity or origin of items to refrain fromrates. Fight, bargain and even overpay (it does not matter) only what you're 100% sure. Good options, believe me, more will appear. But to deal with questionable situations after the auction and spoil the mood — own peril.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI
Konstantin Babulin, AI