I expend much effort cautioning buyers, but I am increasingly aware of the need to caution sellers. What do you do when you must sell? And what happens to our collections at the end of our day? Although I am not planning to check out too soon, I fret about the ultimate disposal of my figures. NOT helpful was my son's reassurance that he has a perfect plan: a part-time assistant at $15 an hour will eliminate the nuisance of disposing of my collection. Hearing his words, I shuddered and understood why people leave collections to museums....but don't you dare! I can just imagine someone from a Los Angeles homeless shelter, someone who thinks their are three "Fs" in "Staffordshire," disposing of my treasures. Horrors!
Of course, most of us plan on being dead when our figures go back on the market, so what does it really matter? For me, its not about the money. Rather, I want my figures to be treated respectfully. I hate the way auction houses lump fine figures in with some junk--or several fine figures together--to help move things along. And I have noted that condition reports at auction can either be off-puttingly thorough (noting irrelevant details) or off-puttingly scant.
Case in point is the 14" pearlware vase with shepherds (below) that came up at auction late last year. I must admit that I gasped when I saw this group. I have never seen another like it.
Of course, most of us plan on being dead when our figures go back on the market, so what does it really matter? For me, its not about the money. Rather, I want my figures to be treated respectfully. I hate the way auction houses lump fine figures in with some junk--or several fine figures together--to help move things along. And I have noted that condition reports at auction can either be off-puttingly thorough (noting irrelevant details) or off-puttingly scant.
Case in point is the 14" pearlware vase with shepherds (below) that came up at auction late last year. I must admit that I gasped when I saw this group. I have never seen another like it.
| I recall writing a blog article on the pair of vases (alongside) in the Fitzwilliam Museum. The vase at auction was of similar structure, with the addition of a fabulous pair of shepherds. | 
|
Courtesy Roger De Ville. The auction vase-with-shepherds is enameled in a palette that is typical of the late eighteenth century. I think it was made by Ralph Wood--the enameling and modeling fit the bill, and the figure molds are derived from those used for the Ralph Wood group alongside.
I hope the former owner of this stunningly beautiful shepherds vase is dead so he/she did not have to witness the humiliation this amazing pearlware treasure suffered at auction. First, the estimate was low, low, low...around $150 as best I recall. Second, the condition report suggested that nobody really wanted to write a detailed report---the very information for which we buyers pay a huge buyer's premium. The lot description noted "Various restorations and repairs"... that was it! The "full" condition report was no more illuminating. In its entirety, it read "Piece has restoration repair and losses throughout." The report plus the estimate suggested to me that the group had just been dismissed as junk, and nobody wanted to bother with it.
To cut a long story short, I bought this group for $300 on the hammer and I am over the moon with it. Yes, the handles have been restored (this I could see before I bid), but the group is structurally intact. There have been no major breaks through the body or base. The shepherdess has a new outer hand and staff, the animals have the odd replacement ear or two, and the shepherd's hand has been reattached. Restoration of this sort can be expected on a group like this, and I should think that any dealer would be honored to have this fine, early example of the potter's skill in stock.
So what's to be learned from this? Make sure that whoever handles your affairs at the end of your days knows which auction house to approach--or, better yet, which dealer. None of us lives forever, but, with care, our figures do. Let's make sure they are passed on with the respect they deserve.
PS: If you are wanting to sell a figure now....
advertise it on the Staffordshire Figure Association's FOR SALE page. This new service is in its infancy, but the SFA hopes it will grow. For your annual membership fee, you can list three figures at a time. I listed a book last week...and it sold.
To cut a long story short, I bought this group for $300 on the hammer and I am over the moon with it. Yes, the handles have been restored (this I could see before I bid), but the group is structurally intact. There have been no major breaks through the body or base. The shepherdess has a new outer hand and staff, the animals have the odd replacement ear or two, and the shepherd's hand has been reattached. Restoration of this sort can be expected on a group like this, and I should think that any dealer would be honored to have this fine, early example of the potter's skill in stock.
So what's to be learned from this? Make sure that whoever handles your affairs at the end of your days knows which auction house to approach--or, better yet, which dealer. None of us lives forever, but, with care, our figures do. Let's make sure they are passed on with the respect they deserve.
PS: If you are wanting to sell a figure now....
advertise it on the Staffordshire Figure Association's FOR SALE page. This new service is in its infancy, but the SFA hopes it will grow. For your annual membership fee, you can list three figures at a time. I listed a book last week...and it sold.
