Antique Russian classics at auction "KABINET" on April 26, 2017
ARTinvestment.RU   27 апреля 2017

Before the crisis, 2014 "Cabinet" was the leader on the Russian auction market turnover in the segment of painting and drawing XIX — beginning of XX century. But more than a year ago, they suspended regular trading. Up until yesterday

the Nature of such a long pause, the organizers explained in his Facebook quite frankly "...other circumstances — the main reason: nothing to sell, no one to buy. The antique business is in deep crisis. We switched to holding exhibitions, publishing projects and living this year, perhaps even more rapidly than the two previous ones." Indeed, for the same money that is spent on preparing the auction and paper directory, you can make an exhibition with scientific catalog. While exhibitions of the written history of art, and auctions — "only" database, Yes family budgets.

nevertheless, "the office" decided to return to the business. And yesterday, the first in more than a year of their trades Russian classics of the XIX — beginning of XX century. What has changed? With the printed catalog did not bother — and correctly. Anyone who cares will look on the website. For the first time to trading allowed to connect to the Internet-участникам. Previously, they accepted only room, zaochku and phone buyers. The first time the auction was held in a comfortable meeting-зале CHA. Before "the office" put the chairs on the first floor, but now they've moved into the next room smaller. Even for the first time in "the Office" auction "knocking" Alexey Zaytsev (usually they had Andrew Haase) and by the way, held the auction clearly.

Now — in General as passed. In the audience were 20-25 people (I counted 22 plus auction staff). Got through in about an hour. Sold 28 lots of 100 — 28 % (for understanding: the average departure for Russia in 2016 was 46 %, but these statistics provided the sixties and contemporary art). From the number sold 7 lots went to the gym, 2 time, 3 — on the phone, and 16 lots were sold at the absentee rates. Buy in the hall, in my experience, doing 4 people.

Two of the most expensive of the lot — oval picture of Alexander guinet, sold on the phone for 1 850 000 13 % Commission to the auction house, and gouache Robert Falk "Spring. On lake Senezh" for 570 000 rubles. The remaining lots were sold in the price range of 45 000-360 000. Totally sold on 6 790 000 plus a Commission of 13 %.

among the most accessible works were etchings Shishkin, bought them for 50 000-70 000 on zaochke. The only surprising thing is sold out, not all Shishkin's etchings. Even 45 000 some remained unsold. Early in my memory such lottery drawing swept clean.

Protracted bargaining almost was not. A couple of times hall was traded in 2-3 steps. For example, lot 50 (tiny cardboard Gavriil Kondratenko) from the starting 180 000 rose to 200 000 rubles. Well, mostly recorded treatments for starts.

the Result is the current situation, miracles and no one was waiting. As they like to say in such cases: the new trends of the trades is not revealed. What we didn't know before? That the market of antique painting in General, and the segment of classical art in particular is experiencing the most difficult times in approximately the last 20 years? Or that auctions can not, and the deliverers do not want to live-старому? Some understand that at that price really can't sell and others do not want to give cheap because they bought at peak prices. Or we didn't know that today, customers almost do not take spontaneous decisions in the hall, that 90% of the outcome of the bidding clear in advance by absentee rates, and that exhort sitting in the room is pointless?

All knew and realized once again.

In this regard, today there is a more global question: what for today, auctions are held in the hall? Does this form of anachronism? There are several pros. In-первых, auction — is not necessarily a show, it's rather historically adopted a formal procedure. You have to read lots and hit with a hammer to make your point. In-вторых, whatever it was, but at each auction there are several lots that will struggle a few participants. Such cases also it is useful to work through the formal procedure. @Ndashтретьих, deliverers useful personally make sure that at inflated prices are now not for sale. Well,-четвертых, the last blow of the hammer, means not an end, but a new situation: look again at these prices the offer did not cause interest, now we wait postauction bargaining — counter-offers at lower prices.

Finally, on the fun. When the auctioneer recaptured the last lot and the audience rose out of their chairs, to Goroskopu a girl from the audience and speaks in the spirit: "Oh, but you have now sold the painting for 300 000 rubles. And I'm willing to offer for it 400 000. Can you?". Phew, I thought only we have this happens on Fridays. However, it is good! So there is still quite a new people who are just starting to get involved in the atmosphere of the auction.

Following the auction "KABINET" will hold in the second half of June, soon.

Vladimir Bogdanov, AI