Couldn't Believe My Eyes!

[KC]

Went with a group of friends to Art night in Fort Worth last night - 7 galleries in 4 hours!  From Top quality to questionable.  Small galleries all over participate to show all media of art and offer free hors d'oeuvres and wines (to highlight local wineries). 

The one item that I couldn't believe my eyes was this piece.  (It was at a prestigious gallery which made it even more unbelievable.) A wooden spoon wall rack (original finish) that had a thin layer of plaster added to the back/wall of the rack.  Several "tourist" collector spoons were all painted the same color and hung on the rack.  It was titled "The spoon's color does not change the soup's taste". 

Now, you can pick up these racks regularly at second hand stores for $4 to $20 and these spoons, typically silverplate, for $1 - $2 each. 

This was for sale....drum roll...$600.00!!!!!!!!!

[ghopper1924]

Ummmmm 1% perspiration, 99% inspiration?

Your knowledge has enabled you to expose an artistic scam!

[mart]

    Doesn`t say much for the artist,, does it ??

[ghopper1924]

That artist didn't bank on the mighty observational powers of our own KC!

[cogar]

Selling homemade "folk art" or "arts-n-craft" items is not "artistic scam".

But now iffen you claimed it belonged to your great-great-great-grandmother who came across the "pond" with Columbus, ……. then ……...

[mart]

Well,, They certainly ran out of original ideas !!

[jacon4]

Yeah, weird deal there. Knows a couple of spoon collectors but they are into VERY OLD spoons, ancient ones in fact. The ones posted just seem like a tourist type deal, not even accurate repros.

[KC]

It's not a scam...just someone who was touting this as art.

Not sure what kind of art.  But...if stuff like this would truly sell for $$$ like this...I would be hitting all the 2nd hand stores and making/selling them!  LOLOL 

Not much artistic ability put into it - 1/2 cup plaster and couple of sprays of spray paint.

I would love to try and keep up with it and see if it ever sells!  Then...for how much!

[ghopper1924]

Not sure what kind of art.  But...if stuff like this would truly sell for $$$ like this...I would be hitting all the 2nd hand stores and making/selling them!  LOLOL 

Not much artistic ability put into it - 1/2 cup plaster and couple of sprays of spray paint.


By that description, I'll opt for scam.

[mart]

Just needed to fill in space and thats all they could think of !!

[jacon4]

Went with a group of friends to Art night in Fort Worth last night -

Well, that's where you made your FIRST mistake! Did a project in Dallas a few years ago and airport, Love field, had this CRAZY rule that you couldn't fly non stop from there. So fly into Dallas but always had to make 30 mile drive coming home to fly from Fort Worth! WEIRD! or vise versa, i forget now which way it was but remember NEEDLESSLY COMPLICATED!
One thing leads to another and now you are robbing people with SPOONS! This is what happens when people are sitting on stumps to long! 

[cogar]

Went with a group of friends to Art night in Fort Worth last night - 7 galleries in 4 hours!  From Top quality to questionable.  Small galleries all over participate to show all media of art and offer free hors d'oeuvres and wines (to highlight local wineries).

I t’was sittin here this morning enjoying my coffee and viewing KC’s “spoon rack” post and shaking my head about all the negative criticisms of said when I seeze to myself ……… GEEEEZUS, what a brilliant advertising idea, …… I shouda thunked of that years ago when we had an open shop.

KC, …… tell us again, …… after visiting those 7 large galleries and scads of smaller galleries, ….. which one of those galleries have you been telling all your friends and acquaintances about?

Or should I ask, …. HOW MANY friends and acquaintances have you told about it? 

Anyway, reminds me of the time when I hung a beautiful oval shaped oak framed, beveled glass dresser mirror on the wall in my shop, ….. worth about $65 at the time, ….. that I didn’t want to sell so I put a price tag of $275 on it figuring it was “more than safe”.

WRONG, ….. a stranger walked in one day, .... spotted that mirror, ..... counted out $275 in cash, .... took the mirror off the wall and left without ever saying a word. 

REMEMBER, …… you can’t sell “memories” …….. but people sure have a compulsion for buying them.

[mart]

Cogar,, Similar thing has been going on with Ebay !!  Some outrageous prices on items that routinely sell for $10. to $20 !!  Some people just equate price with worth !!  Even though there are many identical items selling at normal market prices !!  They think if it costs more it must be worth more than the others !!

[ghopper1924]

The "Cadillac Effect."

[cogar]

You are correct, .. ghopper, … the "Cadillac Effect".

I haven’t been there in 20 years, ….. but Shahady's Antiques in Bridgeport, WV is a really high-buck retailer. Bridgeport borders the city of Clarksburg, is 20 minutes to Fairmont and 30 minutes to Morgantown. Lots of money up that way.

Shahady could sell furniture, etc. at 2 to 3 times what I could because his cliental was the affluent, well-to-do Doctors, Lawyers, business owners, etc., etc. and thus I’m sure it was a “status” thingy to say “I bought that at Shahady's”.

Ya gotta remember, ….. it’s a tough call, ….. but if you price an item too “high”, …. most people won’t buy it.

But on the contrary, if you price an item too “low”, …. lots of people won’t buy it because, 1) they ain‘t gonna buy a “cheapy” anything ….. and/or 2) they like to brag about how much they paid for it. 😊