It is however, somewhere where you can get real bargains. It's at a difficult time of the week for most people, the catalogue is very basic and unless you view you don't really know what will be there. I'm one of only a handful that buys prints, and probably the only regular that really knows his subject.
Compare this with Ebay and similar On-Line Auctions. They are an unrivalled way of locating material, but you are only one of possibly hundreds out there with a good knowledge of prints and prices. There is always some maniac with more money than sense who runs up the price to a silly level. All the major Auction Houses are trying to lure in the huge pool of 'Absentee Bidders' who can now view their catalogues worldwide. This means Joe Public. I can't see dealers being amused - what seems a good price to me is often an uneconomic price for them, and for all their faults I think Print Collecting would be a sorrier place without them - they are an unrivalled source of information, advice, produce catalogues, hold exhibitions and are willing to hold large stocks of often unpopular or limited interest work for long periods. Despite having heaped abuse upon them elsewhere in this site, they are generally an enthusiastic, fair and well meaning bunch. Don't be fooled into thinking Auctioneers are a benevolent bunch offering a great bargain - by the time you take into account the buyers and sellers premiums plus tax, the final cost is nearly double what the seller sees in profit! At least dealers make no pretence about their mark-up, and Ebays margins look tiny in comparison!
Want some tips on Buying Prints Online???
1. Stick to Ebay. It's got the biggest selection, is the easiest to search, and loads things fastest. Some of the others are very slow and supply searched information that is impossible to assimilate easily.2. Searching under 'Prints' will yield thousands; be more specific. 'Etching' returns about 800, 'Drypoint' a dozen or so, 'Mezzotint' about 20. 'Lithograph' is hopeless as there are hundreds of 19th century mass produced prints and it's hard to pin down the 'original' artwork.
You can set 'Personal Shopper' in Ebay to email you daily with items with a chosen word in the title. Despite setting mine up for 'etching' it only returns about 10 a day, despite the fact there is 50-100 new etchings posted daily. Am I doing something wrong?
Images are usually awful. Descriptions can be very vague. Ask some careful questions if you intend to spend big money. Having said that, most things I've had have been better than described.
No bids does not mean no activity. Serious bidders don't strike until a few hours (or minutes) to go. I followed a nice Armin Landeck for a week as it stuttered up to $300. Raced to $1600 in the last hour!
You used to be able to save your 'bidding page' so you could just change the amount and re-send it if you were outbid with a few seconds to go. Now you have to enter all your details again. Believe me ... you will become all fingers and thumbs if you try and rebid with the clock counting down to zero!!!
There are very few bargains. If anything, prices are ABOVE dealer averages. It's best to trawl daily and bookmark any oddities or things you REALLY want.
Best bets are things where there have been NO BIDS AT ALL, particularly if they are fixed starting price items with no reserve.
Even better are items with a finishing time that is US weekend or in the middle of the night. Bid as near finish time as possible.
Better still are badly or incorrectly headed items that escape the regulars - look at anything that looks even remotely interesting, just in case. You may find yourself the solitary bidder!
With items with reserves, most interested bidders can't resist the temptation to run things up and see what the reserve is. These people are not doing it for a laugh - they are AFTER IT. If there are lots of bids logged you are probably onto a loser unless you are desperate and have deep pockets.
None of the big names go cheap. You will regularly see the same people bidding. Presumably it's their livelihood and they are watching everything carefully for items with a margin on them for resale.
If the seller is a regular look at (and save) his list of other items. It's a good way of finding things you may have overlooked or your 'search' has missed. They are often dealers and an enquiry might pay dividends.
Be cheeky and email the seller about things that didn't meet reserve or didn't sell. They wouldn't be using Ebay if they weren't desperate! Most are eager to sell, and if you can't get a a decent price at least you know what they will REALLY accept when they relist it. Things often reappear for months with the reserve creeping down.
Worried about paying?? Most sellers are small general dealers, private individuals or collectors. On average they will be as honest as you are. Don't worry. The Feedback system discourages charlatanry. Those outside the US have the problem of getting money to it. I've tried everything, but now I just get dollars from the bank and stuff them in a humourous card with my details on and send it regular airmail. Any other method costs money, takes just as long and is only marginally more secure. How much of your mail has ever gone astray?? How often have your Bank cocked things up?? See what I mean.
Delivery? No problem in US, trouble if in the UK (similar for rest of Europe). There is no Duty on original Art, but VAT at 2.5% is payable on artwork over 25 years old if it is valued at over $30 or so. Tax due is based on the value declared, plus postage, plus any insurance costs. There is then a £7.50 ($12) handling charge from Parcelforce. Unfortunately they don't understand the rules and charge VAT at 17.5%. You then have to reclaim the overpayment from Customs and Excise by proving the print is 'old'. Anything with tax due seems to get impounded for weeks, so things that go astray usually turn out to in the hands of Customs and Excise. In my experience, things very rarely get lost in the postal system. Anything unframed from the US should be $25 max. - any more and you are being ripped off.
If I was of a devious disposition, I would ask the sender to omit any invoice, put a value of $30 and 'Old Print' on customs declaration and send it regular Airmail, uninsured. If honest, I would ask the sender to declare the full value and write 'Original Artwork over 25 yrs old - Tax at 2.5%' in huge letters all over it. 'Gifts' are tax free up to about $150 after which they also attract the Customs man's evil eye. Take your pick. They can confiscate things if they think you are being naughty. Luckily prints just don't look expensive to the untrained eye!
Well, thats that - and the best of luck to you. Don't blame me if your 'great buys' turn out to be rubbish. At least you now know who the devious buyer that overbids you by 50 cents with three seconds to go is.... tee hee!
Photo Credits::
Top: Me, Eric & Gaylord .... team photo prior to a typical night out seducing student nurses...
Bottom: Steve and the Matterhorn, from the Col de Zinal
(Courtesy of Anastasia Negro and Dr J. Coster. esq.)
Drop me a line if there is anything here that you profoundly disagree with, or maybe you would just like to point out my extreme ignorance and inadequate grasp of the subject.... I am not easily offended.
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