Outsider Artist, Doug Odom

Outsider Art: Doug Odom, "Girl with Doll" is one of two Odom paintings offered at The 31 Gallery.

I have to admit, I couldn't stay away from the Glenview art show yesterday. This urge to return and tell the two wonderful ladies at the show I had written about in the previous blog overtook me I’m very hopeful my readers will follow these artists, because I think their art will be searched out in the future by collectors and will survive the test of time. While I wasn’t looking for thanks, they thanked me so much, and I assured them this wasn’t going to be the last time they heard from me.

While my opinions from the previous day remain the same, there were a few of the artist who caught my eye again once I returned, but they were the same ones as before. And, while this is just one man’s opinion, this is all I can write about from the show. However, I did meet up with an old friend who was exhibiting, and I can once again say he was the hit of the show. I mentioned in yesterday’s blog I would write about this special artist today.

He is perhaps the best known outsider artist around, and his paintings are unique, and I knew I wasn’t alone in my opinion when I stood in his booth, crowded with people commenting in awe and excitement in their voices as they viewed his work for the first time. Once you see one of his paintings you can't help but comment on it. His name is Doug Odom, and one of the things I like best about his work is that it appeals to both children and adults.

Doug had became a friend of mine almost a year ago. In fact, he was a guest in my home and I got to spend some quality time with him. However, our friendship doesn't reflect in my judgment of his talent, which is huge. I never tireof his good old boy demeanor as he tells his audience about life in lower Alabama. Whether you wear a suit or a pair of jeans, you’ll stop and listen to what Doug is saying. I overheard a conversation between Doug and a gentleman in his booth that made me, as well as everyone else roar with laughter. The man asked Doug if he had an e-mail address, and Doug replied, “Not in Alabama.”

“How about a phone number?”

“Not one you could reach me on,” Doug replied.

By this time, I could see from the gentleman’s face he was getting frustrated, but it was then Doug told him, “I can tell you where I live.”

“Are you sure,” the man asked tongue in cheek, and the crowed gave out a huge laugh.

If you know me, I’m sure you’ll know by know that one of my stories is coming about this point, so here goes: As I was making my way toward Doug's booth, I noticed a man carrying a very large painting, but it was facing away from me. I walked around the man because I thought I recognized it. Sure enough, it was one of Doug's works I’ll call “The Yellow School Bus.” You see, I had seen him working on this piece the day before. At that time, it was just this large yellow bus with children riding on it. While I hung around his booth, I noticed that as children approached this painting he would ask them if they’d like to ride on the bus. If their answer was yes, he’d ask where they wanted to sit. You might have guessed, but when they told Doug where they wanted to sit, he’d paint them into the piece right where they chose to sit and added their name to the piece.

So, when I arrived at Doug’s booth, I thought I’d have a little fun with him. He saw me and I started looking around at the paintings. “Where’s my painting,” I asked Doug?

“Which one,” he asked?

“The Yellow School Bus.”

He thought for a moment, then pointed up the aisle and said, “It went that away.”

I couldn’t help but tell him I’d seen the man carrying it, and Doug told me it was going into a museum. Keep a keen eye out for Doug’s work because people haven’t yet fully recognized how unique it is. Our gallery has two of his pieces available and you can view them here.

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Antique Circus Art & Collectibles

Vintage Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Poster sold on eBay for $199.50

Yesterday, as we drove up to a large building to take the kids to the circus during our vacation, I felt the excitement coming on. I could see pictures in my mind from my youth of the circus train pulling into town while everyone was gathered to see the animals taken from the train. At the circus site, I could see the elephants helping to raise the large tents, while clowns and stilt walkers were everywhere. Indeed, the air was alive with the anticipation of things to come when we purchased a ticket allowing us to enter the world of the circus. Walking through the sawdust and taking my seat on the wooden bench, I remember the feeling of electricity pumping through my body when the large animals were released into the main tent and the lions and tigers began to roar. This was, indeed, a child’s dream come true.

But, somehow, taking the kids to the circus yesterday wasn’t the same. We entered a large building with clean floors. What happened to the saw dust, I wondered, as we found our place and sat upon cushioned seats. I didn’t feel the excitement I felt as a child attending the circus with my family.

You might be wondering what this all has to do with the Antique and Collectible Business, and I would wager that if you are over forty the things that I just described brought back memories for you that had been long forgotten. Many people keep these memories alive by collecting. And that's where we come in.

There is a long trail of items that quicken one's memory of the circus, and these items have been sought after for as long as there have been circuses. This is why I suggest you add these items to your search list, because they can create tremendous returns for you.

Some of the items I’m taking about are old advertising posters and banners. At the time, these were items you couldn’t purchase at the circus, but they have come to represent the best reminder of what we are missing in the present day circuses. The graphics of these masterpieces were true works of art, and even if you’re not a collector, you can’t help but appreciate their beauty. On today’s market, often these items will often bring thousands of dollars, and believe it or not, they are still available to be found.

One of my dad’s business partners was married to a trapeze artist with the Barnum and Bailey Circus, and he took me to their farm for a visit one day. I was near heaven when I saw all the posters and banners showing the different acts plus all the wild animals. But the best part was when we entered their barn. There sat a huge circus wagon that looked to be new. I was allowed to jump up on it and sit in the driver’s seat and had the thrill of my life.

Aside from the advertising banners and posters that weren’t sold to the public, there were many items sold to the public that have become collectible as well. Some of these items are figurines, plastic toys and flags. These might not bring you a fortune, but a collector would reward you handsomely for finding them.

Because of the popularity of the circus, many companies produced items for sale to the public that represented the circus. Two of the best known, Steiff and Schoenhut, who made quality items that have still passed the test of time, may be the best of the circus collectibles. These can bring you thousands of dollars for the rare items. However they don’t even compare with the carousel animals that have been known to bring hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.

This is only a short list for you to search for, but there are many other things such as paintings, toys, pinball machines and figurines that are also available to the person with the keen eye. If you do a little research on the internet, you’ll be actively educating yourself, and at the end of the day, you’ll find you’re more knowledgeable on this subject. Should you come across any items, you’ll be able to say, “aha,” and just might be able to make yourself a good deal.

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Prices of Circus Collectibles
From Auction, including a $27,000
Paper Mache Clown

Art Business: The Changing Print Market

For years, I have said that prints held very little interest for me. However, my attitude might be changing for the short run.

Having worked with a lady for several months on selling her Andy Warhol prints, I told her I could no longer present them on our website when I secured a buyer at the posted price and she decided not to sell them. At the time, the price was $35,000 each for Warhol's "Howdy Doody" and "The Witch." I checked prices the other day on these two prints and found that they have almost doubled in price since I listed them. I know you won’t believe this-- I hardly did, but the asking price for Warhol’s Mickey Mouse print is now over $100,000. For a print!!!

I might say that this is an exception, but some good fortune has come my way by this increased value of prints. I scanned the completed sales on eBay for a Marc Chagall print I’ve owned for some time, and there on the screen right in front of me was my print. And it had just finished its auction at $12,000. You can bet there will be another one listed soon.

Then, Cecil called me this morning to tell me that a print he had hanging in the booth at the antique mall where he sells many of his items, had just sold for over $1,000 and another one for over $400. These prints, by Buffet, had been there over a year, and Cecil had expected them to be just decorative wall paper to make the booth attractive.

So what is happening in the print market? Has true art become so expensive that most people no longer can afford it? And, what do we do with this trend?

While I still have very little faith that this market in prints can be sustained, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't take advantage of this trend while it's here. Money is money. If people are willing to spend big bucks on prints, let's scour the countryside for them. Be sure, however, to list each print you buy quickly, so you don’t get stuck with many of them should the market reverse course.

The only warning I would give you is to not buy prints that have a certificate of authenticity with them. Usually these pieces were produced to take advantage of the buyer by unscrupulous sellers. There are exceptions, but let the buyer beware.

To build your client base in the Art business, it will always be best to encourage them to buy the real thing, and the best they can afford. In the Art World, it isn't how much you own, but rather the quality of each piece in your collection. If you help your clients to assemble an art collection with the best they can afford, always putting their best interest above making money, they will be your customers for life, and you will become the person other people will look to for advise in building their collections.

Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club.

Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Then Learn to Grow Your Money Exponentially Buying and Selling only Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers, making more money than they thought possible. Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. Join Today!

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Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

31 Club's Expanded Marketplace Opens

American Born Artist, William Horton lived and worked primarily in Paris. Friend of Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, Horton's high auction price is $104,500 in 1991. This landscape offered through 31 Club Marketplace for $25,000

One of the goals of the 31 Club, was to present one of the largest selections of high quality Antiques, Collectibles and Fine Art, attracting both Collectors and Dealers. We’ve begun this journey today with the opening of our New Marketplace.
This marketplace is open for the public to consign their pieces with us, and to 31 Club Members, who are out there looking for valuable and prized items.

No longer will you have to wait months for Auction Houses to post their schedules or list your better items among hundreds of inferior pieces hoping someone will spot yours.

We aim to become the first place where dealers can find the pieces their customers are looking for, while still being able to turn a handsome profit, as well as the place collectors can find a below the market price on highly collectible items and valuable paintings. New items will start appearing today.

Never a Buyer's Premium and the Most Reasonable Selling Fees in the Industry.

31 Club members pay only 10% for pieces ranging between $0-$5,000, 7.5% for pieces ranging between $5,000-$25,000, and 5% for pieces $25,000 and over. Non-member selling commissions are 20% for pieces ranging between $0-$5,000, 15% for pieces ranging between $5,000-$25,000, and 10% for pieces $25,000 and over. No Buyers Premium!

I hope this will be great news for you. With the large increase in traffic our site is receiving, all items listed should have excellent exposure. By listing through us, you’ll find the lowest cost to you of anywhere in the industry, allowing you to retain more of your money.

To have your items listed, you need only send pictures, a description, details of its condition and your asking price. If you’d like help pricing it, just ask.
If you have any questions about the marketplace please email us, and we will get you the answers to you quickly.

We will continue to expand our learning resources in the Members Only Section so our members can keep ahead of the trend. All eyes are on the 31 Club, so now is the time for our members to profit as we become the industry trendsetters.

Your input is highly valued and we want to hear from you. If you have ideas or comments, let us hear from you! Send me an e-mail at info@31corp.com
If you haven’t joined our exciting and trendsetting club, what’s keeping you from joining? It’s the best deal around.

Here’s an Example of How the 31 Club Membership can Benefit You.

Yesterday, I bid on an advertised painting at an auction house. However, I wasn’t bidding for myself. A 31 Club member spotted the painting, and its estimate was only a few hundred dollars. Because she was new to the business and wasn’t certain she’d found a treasure, she called me and went through our Associates Program. I took a look at the offering and did some research. It was indeed a good offering. Partnering with 31 Club, I handled the bidding. I bid up to $5,000, a good offering based on research. However, the bidding ran up to $14,900 plus buyer’s premium.

31 Members Make Money Spotting Good Buys Without Ever Having to Invest a Cent.

While we didn’t win this piece, I can assure you, when we keep working this way, everyone will come out a winner. And here’s how. Let’s say I had the winning bid at $5,000. 31 Club would pay for the item, then we’d handle the sale of it. If we were successful selling it at, say, $10,000 the club member would have made $1,750 just for having spotted it and called us. No investment on the member’s part, except for the phone call. I think you’d have to agree that is a pretty good benefit to being a member, maybe even great.

We’ll soon be celebrating our first year anniversary, and I am truly grateful to all who have helped keep us growing. Thanks a million.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your antique & collectible treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

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Daryle Lambert: 31 Club Newbie Scores Big with Art Market Find

31 Club Member discovered a painting by Texas Artist, Jim Rabby at an estate sale.

Yesterday I was deeply entrenched in thought about how to improve our club when the phone rang. A young man on the other end told me he was new to our 31 Club and was on his way to an estate sale. He wondered if I could give him some advise.

I tried all the standard words of wisdom I could gather up. He thanked me, and told me he’d call later. A short time later, the phone rang and it was the same young man. He was at the sale and told me that there was so much stuff there that it was overwhelming. He asked about a G. Harvey print for $2,000 and I said “I don't think so.“ Next he mentioned a small oil by Jim Rabby but he couldn't find anything about this artist. I turned to my computer, and it didn’t take long for me to locate the information I needed.

Jim Rabby is a contemporary Artist from Houston, Texas. I couldn't find him in Ask Art but as you are going to see that doesn't matter much. Every artist of value won't be found in the guides books or online resources such as Ask Art. I did find him by searching further on the internet. He has an interesting story I’ll give you a link to so you can sit back and enjoy his life as much as I did. Don’t be surprised if you shed a tear or two.

But back to the story. I then ask if he had purchased the painting and he told me he hadn’t, but at $45, he thought it was cheap. I told him to run back to the house. Not to walk, but run, and say a prayer that it will still be there. He called me again shortly after his run, to announce that the purchase was made, and the painting wasn’t quite as small as he originally thought. It seemed to be about 20 by 24 inches. This put it in the range of about $2,500 to $3,500 for one of Rabby’s works.

I wish all my students could start off with a first purchase like this one. Maybe that’s not possible, but it does show you that with support from the 31 Club, all the information you need is at your fingertips. Just give us a call and we’ll try our best to see that purchases like this will be yours. I can still hear him say how overwhelmed he was, yet his find was probably the golden ring at this sale.

Time and time again, I'll say that when you just get out there, fabulous things will happen. Believe it. Isn't it amazing that a new young member and avid reader of the 31 Club blog might just have completed the first four steps in his race to the million dollars by spotting this painting, while all the pros who went through that house passed by this great find. I’ve promised to help him place his painting in the proper venue and will keep you updated on the results.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to build a bank account to last a lifetime, buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

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Jim Rabby