It's The End Of The (Po-faced Art) World As We Know It

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:29 am

It was inevitable some day. So the traditional staid pompous auction houses are having to lower themselves to climb into bed with crass popular everyday online house-hold auction sites. Of course, they will be spinning it for their own continued glory, no doubt.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28301139

estott · Post by **estott** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:26 am

Oh come on- Sotheby's is just a joke now. They are in the real estate business and I've seen weed choked lots in back alleys with their local agent's placards stuck in the ground. They would sell Princess Di's shoe boxes if they could get them.

Johnny Smoke · Post by **Johnny Smoke** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:12 pm

They do seem to be a bit pedestrian, wouldn't you say?

Regards, Johnny

YouTube · Post by **JohnM** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:32 pm

If I recall correctly, eBay bought Sotheby's over a decade ago.

estott · Post by **estott** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:45 pm

JohnM wrote:If I recall correctly, eBay bought Sotheby's over a decade ago.

No- they entered into a partnership, but they are still separate companies.

Edisone · Post by **Edisone** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:19 pm

This brings to mind the Sears & Roebuck program of 1962 to 1971 - https://archive.org/details/the_vincent ... f_fine_art

estott · Post by **estott** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:23 am

Edisone wrote:This brings to mind the Sears & Roebuck program of 1962 to 1971 - https://archive.org/details/the_vincent ... f_fine_art

That one was pretty successful for a while. His daughter said that at the time etchings were out of favor with collectors so the Prices were able to buy several fine collections for low prices- even a few Rembrandt etchings. Mrs. Price did the framing herself at first.

FloridaClay · Post by **FloridaClay** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 9:26 am

Internet bidding has become a major factor, even in high-end auctions, so I am not at all shocked. It is the way the world is going.

Clay

YouTube · Post by **JohnM** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:28 am

estott wrote:
JohnM wrote:If I recall correctly, eBay bought Sotheby's over a decade ago.
No- they entered into a partnership, but they are still separate companies.

After doing my homework, I found that eBay purchased Butterfield & Butterfield in 1998, not Sotheby's.

Steve · Post by **Steve** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 1:02 pm

estott wrote:Oh come on- Sotheby's is just a joke now. They are in the real estate business and I've seen weed choked lots in back alleys with their local agent's placards stuck in the ground. They would sell Princess Di's shoe boxes if they could get them.

That's interesting but over here in Ol' Blighty, things are very different it might appear and they would never do such things! You won't see a Sotheby's board advertising property available to any old "riff raff"! They might sell grand houses and estates but that's about it.

It's The End Of The (Po-faced Art) World As We Know It

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