why don't you try 1st dibs? search for a local dealer and go from there. the only others I could possibly recommend would be Rago or Wright, from your post I'm assuming you tried them both. good luck. sorry for your loss.

I agree with the first post.

I am the executor of my mother's estate, so I know what a big task it can be. I'd recommend finding a local place that does estate auctions. Usually, they can handle anything you want to sell out of the house in Florida, and they'll transport it and auction it for you. You probably won't get a huge amount of money for them, but it is convenient.

1stdibs is a good recommendation, although many antique dealers won't buy directly from an individual, they prefer to go through estate sales because the price is lower.

People aren't buying much and dealers aren't selling a lot, so things aren't worth what they once were. And things are worth more in some areas than others - these are worth more in New York, absolutely.

I would find a dealer that would accept them on consignment for what you think they're worth (though they'll normally only give you a 50/50 commission), and then move on to a local auction house if you don't get any bites.

Maybe you could call the aution houses in NY that already said no, and ask them for recommendations for reputable companies in Florida. I'll be they know the scoop on their competition, and if they aren't interested themselves, why not pass you along to someone else?

Call the local Christie's or Sotheby's office (Miami/ Palm Beach, respectively) and ask for local auction house recommendations. It's standard procedure of local offices to recommend a smaller house if they reject your property, so I'm a bit surprised that they didn't help you further.

Having been in this situation, in Florida....I can only say please be careful.
If you go the auction house route...do your research...and be prepared to take MUCH less than what they are worth.

Do your homework, search, research, and research some more before you give in.

Sorry for your loss, and I wish you luck with this...
eventually you will find the right option for you.

I am sorry for your loss.

You can search "coromandel screen" on this site

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/

and although you have to join to get the price, you do see the name of the seller. You might google around and send photos to some of them, see what they say?

"...and be prepared to take MUCH less than what they are worth."

Things are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them.

I wonder if the OP has had any success w/ eBay?
Of course, he'd have to be willing to pack and ship the screens to get the best prices - and be sure to place a reserve so that they don't sell for $9.99.

sadly i think eBay these days is the best way to go. Even collectors shop on eBay knowing they can find rocking deals. Yes, place a reserve on it, but be realistic, and don't forget to make sure the bidder pays shipping.

Sorry for your loss, i can't imagine the day i'll have to be doing the same thing. (and god knows how much "stuff" my parents have amassed over the years....)

I might be interested in the screens. please send the dimensions and price. Thank you. cityofparis@yahoo.com

i would try Dolce Antiques of West Palm Beach. They're in the antiques row section on South Dixie Highway. Associates of mine have had luck with them in the past. Also, if you really want to do your research, check out the companies on this list: http://www.westpalmbeachantiques.com/antiques-shops.html

good luck!

forgot to mention...definitely find out how much these are going for at an online antique house or auctioneer. some dealers, esp. here in South Florida acquire many goods from estates of those who have passed, and as a result, will low-ball you if they think you don't know any better.

if your mother was a decorator, perhaps she had decorator friends, former clients or associates who know someone as well. the biz is kind of a small world down here.

You might want to find out if there is a market for these, and where, to target your sales efforts. Different things sell in different places.

Depending upon your income and hence your tax bracket, if you're going to sell these for much less than they're worth, get them professionally appraised and donate them to a thrift shop, which will also pick them up.

If these are worth less than $5,000, you won't be audited for the deduction - but keep that appraisal! If these are worth more than $5,000, you could be audited, so talk to an accountant.

I am a serious textile collector and good things are not selling on eBay - all sorts of people are putting things up for thousands of dollars. And you'd have the issue of shipping these, which is non-trivial.

Be very careful with vendors/auctioneers/resellers in South Fl. Lots of crooks, in fact, the majority are crooked. Prices will be much better in NYC if you have the means to ship and store until you get the right price.

Hi Rob: I've dealt with a dealer in nyc Mr. Zhang at Eastcornercompany (i think that's their website address as well) and he's very knowledgeable, articulate, and most important honest as far as dealers go. His well curated gallery is on the upper east side (83rd and 2nd). He deals with consignments and can give you a fair appraisal. Although he might be away at the end of February for a buying trip in asia (i've placed a request for something with him already...)

I also have spoken to someone at midori gallery in coral gables in miami whilst on a business trip last year. The gallery's owner is a nice lady who holds a lot of stock in japanese screens. Yours are chinese but I'm sure it's something she might be interested in.

If you do a search on 1st dibs, you'll see that coromandel screens are quite expensive, especially the 8, 10, 12 panelled ones. The beauty of these screens are that they can be folded up and stored away relatively easily.

For your information, a reasonable moving company is called movers and shakers and they have plenty of branches around the country and can give you good estimates in terms of moving. I've used them several times for acquisitions and have no problems with their service.

Another recommendation for movers if you choose to ship to NYC and take your time finding an appropriate buyer: flatrate.com. They moved us (including my grandmother's antiques) cross-country for a very good price and with not a single dent or ding. They combine customers on larger trucks, so you only pay for the actual space you use. Turned out to be less expensive than any other option we researched and they came highly recommended by 2 friends (one of whom is a serious antique collector). I believe the company includes storage for up to a month in the transport price--which would give you time to find just the right buyer or consignor for your mother's lovely items. Good luck!

A "fair price" bears little relationship to what was originally paid. If auction houses don't want something, that is a big clue.

I've sold quite a few "valuable" things for almost nothing, and I wonder, from looking at classified ads here and at Craig's List, what people selling unrealistically priced things end up doing.

It appears that most sellers price furniture at 50 to 85 percent of what they paid. This in no way appears to be a bargain to buyers, who are looking to pay more like 10 to 30 percent of what something would cost retail.

If you can't let go of illusions about value, charity donations are the way to go.

Many thanks -- first, for the condolences, and second, for the advice and pointers. I'm hopeful there will be even more wise words forthcoming.

Florida is a very weird market. There's a constant new supply of high-quality furnishings, because so many old people live there, and a pretty low demand, because most transplants bring their own pieces with them. Plus, as bella1 knows, it's notoriously shady. There's good reason Ft. Lauderdale is known as Ft. Frauderdale.

I've found the 1stdibs site difficult to navigate, but I'll take another look this weekend. And I'll get in touch with cityofparis, make use of Kpaige13's and arnold's referrals, and phone the movers who have been suggested.

One last thing: The photo you see is half of one room in a four-BR home, all of it similarly designed. From an Italian colored glass fruit chandelier to a pony-hair armchair and ottoman, there is a lot to sell.

If this photo shows that my mother's taste is comparable to yours, and you want to see pictures, please email me at rt.estate AT gmail DOT com. There may be something you're interested in buying, though the inventory is too extensive for me to coordinate shipping. THANKS, AptT !

If its not too late, I saw a coromandel screen c. 1912 at Excentricities, Old South Dixie Highway, for $10,000. You could consign yours to The Elephants Foot, South Dixie Highway in the antiques district, perhaps. The person to talk to is John.