Pianos and Posters

2 little tales of Auctions past.

Sometimes you make mistakes and errors in judgment occur to everyone. But luckily Collectibles and Antique mishaps, you can at least break even, or even a small profit.

It has been well known for the entire life span of humanity, "BUYER BEWARE" were the 1st words written in stone!

It was a very late night at Steve's Little Auction, many folks where packing up and going home, but the few hardened bidders where hanging around hopping to grab the last of the boxed lots cheap.

Steve asked if there where any items that we would like to go up quick. before he shut down for the night. I had seen on a shelve behind him, A RED WING Piano Flower Pot.
It had been there for 3 or four weeks. I asked for that to be put up. He did so and I won it for $35... nice deal, I never seen one, and book was about $300 at the time.

I took it to the BARN and asked everyone what they thought I should price it at, we thought try $275 as I could always lower the asking price. So up it went, inside a locked case. About a week pasted and one of the dealers called me over and showed me the RED WING Book, and the Photo of the Piano, he pointed out the "Foot Peddle" in the Photo, and showed me where on "MINE" it was missing! Also the break had been very cleverly Filed down!

Now I do not hold the Auction House responsible! I was a "Professional" it was viewable for weeks before hand! I Screwed up! How could I sell it now? Could I even get my $35 back out of it?

I was told, Drop the price to $175 and mark it " AS IS" if anyone asks point out the fild down missing "Foot Peddle" I asked that if anyone sold it to POINT IT OUT anyway, I didn't want to HIDE that damage from anyone.

A week passed and I came to the Barn and my RED WING Piano was gone, asking who had bought it, I was told I got my $175 asking price and it was sold to another DEALER!!!!! Who Never asked about the "AS IS"" so they never told him. At 1st I was kinda sore that no one had told him about the Missing Part... but was reassured 'Rationalized" He was a Dealer just as I was a Dealer, we both had the same access to the same information, it was Viewable for weeks, so on and so on. I didn't feel as bad, besides I made a good profit off that mistake.
Another Saturday and up comes a Early 1900's Stone Lithograph of Harry HOUDINI, I had seen this Poster before an knew if original was worth a LOT of money, there where a number of MAGIC Items up that night. Steve told a tale of a Local Magician who "Mysteriously Disappeared" so the Auction of these Items.

I bought the Poster for $75 and it was Lovely, I have a good eye for Prints, but this is a very tricky area of collecting. I took the Poster to my Place of work, ( A PRINT SHOP!) and an Old Tymer told me it was a VERY VERY NICE STONE LITHO, he thought it it was authentic but neither of us experts.

I called the Harry Houdini Museum in APPLETON Wisconsin, the gentleman asked me if there was a Phone Number stamped on the back, there sure was I said. He told me it was an EARLY Reproduction, a very very GOOD one, but none the less not an Original. He felt my $75 was about correct for it......
Before I left the Auction that night Steve asked me if I would sell it to him? Same money... I almost did... but wanted to find out for my self if it was real or not and took the chance.

Now I felt kinda bad about buying it, yet I said well it's still a NICE Stone Litho! Heck I'll keep it, but a guy at work said he'd give $75 for it, cause he liked it a lot, even though he knew it was a reproduction... A VERY GOOD REpro! I broke even on the deal and learned alot!