1940's Brass Statue
My artwork collection(not including my own paintings) has been growing steadily over the past few months. I have accumulated about 30-40 paintings, as well as statues and various random treasures. I actually rarely leave the house anymore for recreational purposes. Pretty much all I do is scour the city in search of valuable artifacts, occasionally taking a break to grab a cheeseburger or something. I got into collecting art when I used to go to antique stores for ideas and inspiration, as I began to find things I actually wanted. Also, while looking for frames at thrift stores I started to sometimes notice original paintings which were seemingly of value. As a collector with some curiosity, I have really grown to disdain the fact that so many artists simply do not sign their work(or do not sign it legibly.) I understand the importance of having a stylish, undecipherable signature… but if you’re going to do that at least print your name on the back so that people 40 years from now will know who in the heck painted it. It makes a substantial difference when trying to resell it. More importantly though, I enjoy researching the artist, learning out about their life, etc even when they are almost totally unknown.
I enjoy attending the auctions at Antique Centre in Scottsdale. The owner, Don Demarest, is kind of a legend in the antique world and a pretty cool guy. The monthly auction seems to be a better place to buy than to sell though. Despite hearing many times people “get way more for stuff selling it at the auction,” that wasn’t my experience as an observer. The house takes a big percentage, and I saw a lot of stuff which they valued at hundreds of dollars, selling for just 25 or 50 dollars, which meant the seller was getting much less than that. Still it is almost a guaranteed sale of your items. I have a feeling these auctions would be better if more people knew about them.