Nice. Well, we were a bit nervous last evening as 6:30 approached and we weren't sure who would show up at the gallery - it WAS freezing cold and felt colder over on West 25th street.
What would everyone look like? What would we have in common besides the guilty pleasure of reading and commenting online when we should be working? Would this be a crowd of shut-ins or oddballs like ourself who really just get into finding cool resources and discussing our apartments?
See Gallery Visit Tour
Apartment obsessives, yes. Shut-ins, no. With great pleasure we can announce today that we had a great time and filled the gallery with about 25 readers (and one television star, apparently).
After Alan gave us a remarkable whirlwind tour through his gallery and the state of photo collecting in general, people dug into the bins to look at pictures and conversations ensued that ranged from
discussing how to fix up a small studio that one reader owns in Paris
to what to do when your apartment is just overwhelmed with junk (because your mother died recently and you have all her boxes in your house)
to the happy story of a couple who recently bought a large piece of furniture and almost came to blows over where to place it in their apartment (everything worked out fine).
As the evening ended (late!) we realized what a special, odd opportunity these meetings afford us, and that we are just getting started. We will be looking at resource visits and house tours in the new year, and welcome any and all suggestions. See you again in January! (Thanks to everyone who came!) MGR
(AND we all got to see how GORGEOUS Sara Kate is in person!!!!!)
So I was one of the people who attended the gallery visit last night, and actually walked out of the gallery with a print under my arm. I bought a Karl Blossfeldt plant form vintage bookplate Guavvre (whatever that means) from 1929 for $195.
I thought it would be fun to do a search for the photographer in ebay to see what other pieces looked like, and try to learn more about his work. I was startled to find almost 20 prints of his from the same 1st edition at the "Buy Right Now" price of $49!! I called Alan at the gallery to tell him, and at first he thought I was trying to give him a hot tip. When I said no, I was concerned about paying quadruple the price he said, and I quote "When buying art you either pay too little or too much". So is the moral of the story you'll pay too much at his gallery? He did say I could come in and exchange it if I wanted. But will I just exchange it for something else worth much less? If so, at least I like the print I bought. I am open to advice...
Jenn--
Reputation is EVERYTHING in art dealing, and
I have found Ebay NOT to be the best source for reputable fine art transactions (typically; there ARE some excpetions). It is awash with prints of questionable origin, reproductions, and fakes. On the other hand, if you want to buy an image (and don't care about whether it is original, signed, limited edition, a repro, etc.) Ebay can be a GREAT source.
Ultimately, if you loved the image enough to buy it, could affford the price you paid, don't look back!! Just enjoy that BEAUTIFUL Blossfeldt you bought last night. "Art" and "regrets" never belong in the same sentence!!
What patrick said. Prints are by definition reproducible, and if you 1) can't see them before you buy and/or 2) aren't dealing with a knowledgeable, reputable dealer, you have no idea what you are actually being sold. For an interesting article about this at the highest end of photography collecting, see www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200306/woodward
Hello,
This night out sounds like it was a lot of fun. I hope to join in one day, as I am one of those guilty of peeking at this website while 'working'.
I also know that having a gallery owner take the time to walk you through their collection and letting you enjoy their space is a luxury. That alone was most likely worth the trip. And on top of this, it sounds like some very lovely people attended.
As for the print you bought, gallery provenance is almost always better than eBay. Your print now has a good provenance, which can be very important. Without having seen the eBay print, I already would have MANY questions of authenticity. There are many things rolled into the cost of buying at a gallery. Also, the guavre process is important - you should ask the gallery owner to explain a little about it as it is not common. Part of buying at a gallery is the high certainty that the work is vetted well and it is a safe investment. If you ever are to take the print from your wall and need to sell it, you will soon realize the value of this. And with anything printed on paper, quality is a huge issue - everything from the edges, light damage, image crispness, etc; it is a huge gamble to buy over the internet. You might get lucky, but you might not. A gallery makes sure what you get is as reputable as it can be. I usedto work for a print gallery - I can tell you that paper damage is common from bad matting, high humidity, strong lighting, and many other factors. A good gallery will not sell something that has damage, or will otherwise tell you. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen things from eBay that have had damage issues. You paid to rest easy.
I agree with Patrick - enjoy the print, if that was why it was bought. And get your money's worth by making it a real showpiece in your home! At the very least it is a great keepsake ffrom a unique evening that could only happen in NY.
As we speak I am thinking of the Japanese tansu (chest) I bought this Autumn. I also have a feeling I paid way too much, but I forget that every time I look at it; I bought it because I was so taken by the details.
It sounds like it was a great time. I hope it can happen again!