Auction Etiquette and Basic Information

© Becky Linhardt 2013

BUYING

 Every reputable auction house will have very specific rules for the auction. They will be listed in the auction catalog and the auctioneer will state the basics fees and procedures before beginning the auction.

If possible order a catalog in advance or view items online to decide which items you are interested in pursuing even if you plan to attend the “exhibition” before the auction. In person you can see little defects that may affect how you bid. If you plan to submit your bid by phone or on the internet, reputable auction houses will accept phone calls requesting more information about an object.

 Most auction houses have a buyer’s fee. Sometimes as high as 20% that will be added to the final price. State tax may be required. Some auctioneers pass on the fee that credit card companies charge them for processing the credit card transaction. Your final tally can add up quickly so make sure you have set a target price for yourself BEFORE the bidding begins. Reviewing the auction estimates posted online or in the catalog provides a good guideline but only you know what value an item has for you.

 Bidding from the floor: Upon arrival at the auction house, head to the business offices to pick up a bid card. That number will be yours throughout the auction process. Make sure you make the auction card visible to the auctioneer while you remain in the bidding.

Absentee bids: If you know firmly what you would be willing to bid, you can submit a bid in advance of the auction. If no one else goes higher than your bid – the item is sold to you.

 Phone in bids: Some auction houses allow phone in bids. You let them know what item you want to bid on and your contact phone number. They will call you as the lot number is approaching and stay on the phone as you decide to place bids, withdraw from bidding, or secure the bid.

 Online bidding: Online bidding occurs at the same time as phone in and bids from the floor. Not every auction house is willing to deal with the hassle but as Wes Cowan of Cowan’s Auctions said when the bidding slowed, “Online and phone bids may slow things down but it does increase the audience and bring higher prices for the seller.”

SELLING

 If you have watch Antiques Roadshow on PBS you already know that there are two levels of valuation. At Cowan’s Auctions in Cincinnati you can get a free auction estimate – just remember to call ahead for an appointment.

 Auction estimate: This is an oral evaluation by an appraiser of the price that an item might receive in the current market. That price is generally stated as a range that will be published in the auction catalog and online although the actual sale price may be higher – or lower.

 Auction houses need a flow of antiques to remain in business so some auction houses (including Cowan’s Auctions) will provide free auction estimates and discuss whether they are willing to offer you a contract and accept the item(s) for auction. Call in advance to schedule an appointment. The auction house may ask a lot of questions about the items you have for consideration. They need to make sure they schedule the right appraiser for the item(s) you have to be reviewed in their workrooms or off-site.

 If you contract for your item(s) to go to auction, there will be a seller’s fee, often between 10-20% of the price secured at auction. Consider the value to you – with a reputable auction house you get their experience, reputation, and their marketing expertise (online presence, catalog, advertising, repeat customer base, etc.). They are motivated to make money for you and for the auction house by securing the highest bid possible.

 Insurance valuation: This is a written statement by a paid appraiser, generally needed for settling estate procedures or insuring an object as an addendum on an insurance policy. Arrangements can be made with an auction house to have a licensed appraiser review items in an estate. Pricing for such services varies by client needs and by auction house.

National Attention/Auction Excitement

©  Becky Linhardt 2013

Maybe you have watch the PBS programs Antique Roadshow, History Detectives, or their newest – Market Warriors. Cincinnati has a connection to these programs through resident and business owner, Wes Cowan. His high-end auction house is located in a new industrial park here in the Cincinnati area.

Did you know you can visit his home base, Cowan’s Auctions, that has been featured recently in some segments of Market Warriors? Or, that you can get a free auction estimate? This was new information to me and this is my home town. I watch the PBS programs but I usually visit thrift stores and antique malls.  I did take some items to Antiques Roadshow Cincinnati this year. However, I had never attended an antiques auction.

On a press tour that included Cowan’s Auctions I was able to see a bit of the behind the scenes activities and learned about the huge staff that pulls things together for each auction. First there are evaluations and a decision to accept an item for auction (Antiques Auctions – Buying and Selling). Once an item or lot of items is accepted, a description is written, photographs are taken (two full time staff photographers I was told), a catalog is produced, and marketing is initiated to attract a large audience to secure the highest price possible for the seller – and a profit to support the business.

My background in Interior Design had not included much residential work, no searching for art or furnishings for clients. I had seen a portion of a smallish auction at Cowan’s Auctions on an early PBS Market Warriors segment. It was now time for me to see for myself what the auction experience was all about. I chose to attend the March 9, 2013 Fine and Decorative Art Auction since it was a logical match to my interests. Items to be included in the auction can be viewed online. I reviewed Oriental and fine silver decorative items and had a list of numbers I might bid on that day.

The excitement at Cowan’s Auctions happens on auction days, generally on a Saturday. Auctions are themed, some held once a year and some categories such as Decorative Arts have 2-3 auctions each year. This makes it easier for potential bidders to target their area of interest with bids in person, phoning in, or online. Before the auction there is an “exhibition” of the items for sale. This period, generally two hours before the sale allows potential buyers to view the items and note the lot numbers of interest to them. Numerous staff members have access to the glass cases if you want to inspect an item more closely.

The March 9, 2013 Auction started on time with a series of announcements about the process and the rules. The first item was of interest to me so I bid early but dropped out as the bidding went beyond the limit I had imposed upon myself. After years of seeing auctioneer in films rattling off what seemed like incomprehensible jargon I was delighted that words were clear and understandable.

Occasionally, the bidding was slowed by phone and online bids process. However, as Wes Cowan said when the bidding slowed, “Online and phone bids may slow things down but it does increase the audience and bring higher prices for the seller.”

Did I make a purchase? Yes, a Chinese export dresser that I thought was out of my price range when I looked at it in the catalog but sold, to me, for much less than the auction estimate. There were a lot of items so it was going to be a long auction day. As I paid for my purchase I placed an absentee bid for a jade bell that would be up for bid much later in the afternoon. That sold for a price higher than my bid.

Free Auction Estimates

Once I had the experience of attending an auction I felt more comfortable setting an appointment to receive a free auction estimate. From my family I had a number of prints of the Cincinnatiarea that I had tried to research but could not find any information online.

I arrived at Cowan’s Auctions to meet the appraiser carrying six framed George Williams prints of Cincinnati scenes and a small print of the Cincinnati riverfront from the Northern Kentucky side of the Ohio River that looked old. We placed the prints on the big table under strong light. The appraiser right away identified the George Williams prints as commonly found and not of much worth. He gently let me know that maybe, since the prints were framed nicely, they might sell as a set for about $200 but were not something that the auction house would accept (no strong market).

The little print though caught his eye. He told me that it was a clipping from Harper’s, probably in the 1880’s, and pointed out some lines I had not noticed, a bit of bleed through from text on the other side. He admired the hand-lined details on the matting and said that it might bring about $200 at auction but did not offer me a contract. That was fine with me. I had always been a bit partial to the small print and now I knew more about it. Though it might have been nice to hear that the set of six prints were valuable, the hallway looked so bare when I wrapped them to take to the auction house that I wondered how I would live without them if they had a potentially high auction estimate. Some things you just become attached to in ways that touch your heart.

 May you find treasures at auction that you love – at a bid price you can afford!

 Cowan’s Auctions:6270 Este Avenue,Cincinnati,OH 45232

513-871-1670 or www.cowans.com

Fine Art Photography: 10″w x 13.3″h image on 12″w x 15″h paper.

Print Edition limited to 10.  Artist’s Proof: 2

2012  Color print with white border on archival paper – signed.  In the winter, low-angle, natural sunlight creates interesting patterns of light and shadow.  Not altered or enhanced.  Copyright stamp not imbedded on original prints. Prints will be signed below the images.

Fine Art Photography: 13.3″w x 10″h image on 15″w x 12″h paper.

Print Edition limited to 10.  Artist’s Proof: 2

2012  Color print with white border on archival paper – signed.  In the winter, low-angle, natural sunlight creates interesting patterns of light and shadow.  Not altered or enhanced.  Copyright stamp not imbedded on original prints. Prints will be signed below the images.

Fine Art Photography: 10″w x 13.3″h image on 12″w x 15″h paper.

Print Edition limited to 10.  Artist’s Proof: 2

2012  Color print with white border on archival paper – signed.  In the winter, low-angle, natural sunlight creates interesting patterns of light and shadow.  Not altered or enhanced.  Copyright stamp not imbedded on original prints. Prints will be signed below the images.

Stock Image:  This image has been down-sized to fit my web site – raw image available without imbedded copyright imprint information per negotiated fee/rights agreement.

Stock Image:  This image has been down-sized to fit my web site – raw image available without imbedded copyright imprint information per negotiated fee/rights agreement.

Stock Image:  This image has been down-sized to fit my web site – raw image available without imbedded copyright imprint information per negotiated fee/rights agreement.

Stock Image:  This image has been down-sized to fit my web site – raw image available without imbedded copyright imprint information per negotiated fee/rights agreement.

Creati-vacation

 ©  Becky  Linhardt 2013

A narrow driveway off Gatlinburg, Tennessee’s bustling Parkway leads to a quiet but active arts and crafts school with historic ties to the city. As a travel writer, I was introduced to Arrowmont during a press tour of Gatlinburg. As an artist, I was so impressed that I decided one day I would come back to create.

For the artist in me, a week long workshop focused on producing art was a dream. Being in the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains was an additional plus and by arriving a day early I had Sunday to explore parts of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park that I had not seen during other travels. I enjoyed a drive through the park to Cherokee, NC as autumn color came to the higher elevations – and took lots of photographs.

As a professional artist I work in photography and my paintings are done in oils. I think I have tried almost every artistic medium. I have found that working with a variety of materials inspires my creativity. I love glass and although I have done some work in stained glass and even glass fusing and hot glass, I had never tried enameling. I knew that glass powders were applied with heat to copper. I was soon to learn that the process is much more complicated than I thought.

Arrowmont has living spaces on campus. The housing is clean and comfortable with the feel of a summer cabin; most bathrooms are shared dormitory style. There are a few single rooms, a few with private baths. I requested a single with shared bath and was assigned to Teacher’s on the second floor and for that session we had only three female residents sharing two bathrooms although the five rooms on that floor could accommodate as many as nine.  Downstairs, couples shared larger rooms.

Teacher’s is an older building; an easy walk from the main building that housed the administration offices, auditorium, bookstore and some studios, including the enameling studio. I could walk through that building to the dining hall and the other side of campus where additional students were housed. In other residence halls friends shared rooms. Some arriving by car shared driving expenses to cut down on transportation costs.  Students do have a choice of staying “off-campus” and some booked rooms at nearby motels on the Parkway that had private baths and amenities like cable TV.

A variety of meal plans are offered and almost everyone chose to have lunch in the Dining Hall on campus. The food was very good, healthy, and plentiful. During the 1 ½ hour lunch break we often “talked shop.” Good weather found many of us opting to sit in the sun at picnic tables outside. In the above image fabrics strung to dry on trees outside the dining hall added a festive air.

The daily workshop schedule was 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the long lunch break. We were also allowed access to the studios in the evening to continue working. There were nightly programs and one night an impromptu folk sing on the patio adjacent to the library (both pleasant spaces to relax/calm the mind).

We were encouraged to visit other studios to talk with the teachers and students there. I was intrigued by the wood studio (my dad would never allow me near his tools), the first basic projects, and later the more advanced bowls. Fabrics also interested me. So many artistic options!

Painting, surface designs on textiles, metalwork for jewelry, doll-making, and ceramic workshops were part of the session that week so I had a chance to see and talk with people working in many disciplines and from various parts of the USA, Canada, and even from Europe. I learned so much in the Enameling Workshop, from our instructor Gail Nelson, and from the other students. Some were professional already looking to try new techniques; some had experience but were looking to take their skills to a higher level. All were willing to share their knowledge.

Most of us were so involved in learning and creating that we started in the studio early and stayed late – then in sleep dreaming of what we would make the next day. Cleaning up the studios late Friday afternoon was a bit melancholy. There had been more than a dozen students with me in Gail Nelson’s Enameling Workshop. We gathered to look over ALL that we had created in a week. We did not have a dramatic or stressful critique, rather we marveled at the unique styles and beautiful work we had produced.

Even as a novice I had pieces that I was happy with, some that would be part of jewelry I planned to assemble later into multi-piece necklaces, some as gifts. It was late December before I finally sat down to assemble the necklace I planned for myself.

The two enameled pieces were OK. I knew that my enameling skills were still at an amateur level. What amazed me is how this project came together in ways I had not imagined. I was able to hide a problem area (Gail “saved” me by carefully re-drilling a major opening that had fused close). In some ways assembling the necklace was like the experience at Arrowmont – multi-faceted: with memories of great learning experiences, generous and creative people, new ideas, an inspiring location in the Smokies – an all round wonderful creati-vacation.

 Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts: 556 Parkway,Gatlinburg,TN 37738

www.arrowmont.org or 865-436-5860

www.gatlinburg-tn.com or 800-588-1817