New Treasures Uncovered Following Financial Market Fallout

Several photos of a gold gilded compote with a glass insert came to me in my e-mail yesterday. The bottom mark read Pairpoint. While I’ve seen many pieces from this company before, I’d never seen one like this before. One particular photo really got my attention, because it was shot under a black light. You might wonder why the woman who sent me these photos shot it under a black light, but if you’ve kept up with my blogs, you would already know the answer. You see, under these lights, the glass insert gave off a fluorescent glow because it’s Vaseline Glass. This is a great way to test for Vaseline Glass, or simply take it into a dark closet.

As the financial markets continue to girate, I’m getting calls from people looking to sell some of the valuable items they’ve collected, like the Harvey Joiner painting I was called on. This is a large one, measuring 17” x 27” in a G.W. Baker frame. The sellers asking price was a little rich for my blood, but now I know who has it, should the right customer come along from my end. It’s important to keep track of the items you pass by, especially because of price. You never know when you’ll cross paths with someone who’d be the perfect customer for a piece like that, or what circumstances might cause the seller to accept a different offer.

Cindy and I have listed the new pieces 31 Club members have sent us, and they are now for sale in the gallery and marketplace. If you haven’t taken a look at what we have yet, why not do that now? You might just see something a customer has asked you to watch for, or you might find a nice Holiday Gift for someone very special.

Paintings in our gallery are getting tremendous exposure through Askart, and we are getting tremendous viewer response. This is just one of many features this club is bringing you at no cost to its members. The fee for the full line of services on Askart is over $200 per month, and you have full use of them by simply emailing us at info@31corp.com. Through our subscription on Askart, you’ll be privy to the most recent auction prices on a particular artist. Kind of like a real estate comparable the realtors use when determining the value of your house.

We’ve always got an open line to our members, so if you have any questions, or just want to call to say “hey”, don’t hesitate to do so.

Treasure Hunters:

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Buy High Quality Items for FAIR PRICES
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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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Check out the new Paintings and new items in our Gallery and Marketplace here.

Fine Art Paintings: Portraits Are In.

Portrait of a Boy and Dog by an Unknown Artist.

Over the years I have had many opportunities to purchase unsigned primitive portraits or folk art portraits of men, women, and children. These have never particularly appealed to me, but after I examined the past catalog from Cowan’s Auction held in March of this year, I’ll be taking a second look next time I see one. I thought these had very little value, but that doesn’t appear to be true today. And, to my surprise, the values can skyrocket if they are signed. While I was aware that certain portraits by the leading painters could bring in fabulous money, with some fetching over $100,000, I didn’t know that most of these old portraits would bring $500 or more. I have passed on many of these portraits at prices as low as $100.

Checking Cowan's auction, I found where there were several paintings by fairly unknown artists that that brought good money. but were by fairly unknown artist. From their March 15th auction, lot # 27 by Robert Fulton sold for - $2520; #28 – for a pair by unknown artist - $13,000 plus, #146 By Samuel Shaver - $3,700 and #151 a pair by Ezra Ames - $5,700. Wow! I have passed on many listed portraits in Nashville shows for under $1500. Boy, do I wish I had that opportunity again.

You will find these portraits at many of the house sales you attend, and I hope you will begin to take notice of them. If you find a quality portrait painting, I suggest you consider Cowan's as the auction house to sell them. Go to the Cowan’s web page and sign up to get their past auction results. I think you’ll be as amazed with the prices as I was. Not only will you find the prices, but you’ll see photos of the paintings as well as their descriptions. This is one of those cases where I think it would definitely be best to sell this type of painting at auction, rather than on the Internet.

Over the last few days, I’ve been giving you information will assist you in making a lot of money. By applying the rules I’ve learned about buying and selling over many years of trial and error, you’ll gain from my roughly 45 years of experience. When you apply the financial principles to these trades, you’ll see your money accumulate substantially.

There have been several emails about the website, and I will try to answer all of them, but please be patient, as there are many changes coming. Checking the site while Jeremy is doing some of the construction may be problematic. I am looking forward to the day when the 31 Club site will be interactive, and you will be able to participate in the content whenever you wish.

I’m back from vacation and I have much catching up to do over the next few days. I thank each and every one of you for your patience while I was away, and special thanks to Cindy and Jeremy for keeping everything running in my absence.

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!

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

Recognizing Value in Fine Art Paintings: Signatures, Initials, Monograms and Unsigned Paintings

We purchased this signed painting, but the artist's signature has not yet been identified. It will soon be available in 31 Club Gallery.

Taking some of the mystery out of recognizing value in Fine Art Paintings is a topic I get many e-mails on. Members e-mail me about wonderful paintings they'd like to buy, but the artist can’t be identified. Maybe there are only initials, a signature that can’t be read, or just simply a monogram with a figure on the painting. Perhaps the signature can be read, but the artist is not in the guides on paintings. People have often said to me, “I liked the painting, but I didn’t purchase it because I couldn’t identify it.” This could be a huge mistake.

If you judge a painting to be worth $400 because of the frame, the content, and quality of the work, and you can purchase it for about $100, then your decision is made. Even if the painting is not signed, you might not want to hesitate to purchase it. I have seen paintings in beautiful frames sell for $100, and after a little research, it was discovered that the frame was a Newcomb-Macklin frame worth up to $1,000. And this might be a real shocker: Some vintage frames have been known to bring over $100,000. And, unsigned paintings can still sell for thousands, as William shared with me when he saw an unsigned painting sell for over $5,000.

I have seen signatures appear after the painting had been cleaned and have found signatures hidden behind a frame. So, if you buy a painting for a few dollars and know that it’s worth more than four times what you paid for it, then it has met our rule for buying. Anything from there that enhances its value is only a plus.

I’ve accumulated many secrets over the past 45 years in this business and I've shared many of them them in my book. Today, I'll share one of those secrets with you.

Did you know that, like authors who’ve written under pen names, artists also painted under alternate names? Did you know Leon Gaspard also painted under the name Leon Schulman and John Edward Castagno used the name Czako? Artists painted under alternate names, and they are listed in the back of American Signatures and Monograms by John Castagno. In the back of this book on signatures and monograms, you will also find the initials used by some of the greatest artists to ever decorate a canvas. If you find a painting signed with only initials, the identity of that artist might be discovered right here in this book. If you’re serious about finding valuable paintings, there might be a true treasure waiting for you because others didn’t have this information, but you did. Castagno’s books are very expensive, but if your interest lies in this area, his books will prove to be key tools for you.

At a house I was called to about several items, I stumbled across a painting of an Indian Chief that looked to be unsigned. I asked what they were asking for it. The answer came quickly: $250. I thought that was a good price, but I asked if I could take it out of the frame. They agreed, and lo and behold, there was a signature behind the frame I didn’t recognize. I had just made a very serious mistake.

You see, the owner quickly asked if I would mind if they waited another day before they sold the painting. We had already settled on several other items I was purchasing, and I didn’t want to miss out on those items as well, but I said, “Sure” anyway.

That evening I quickly researched the painting and found that it was worth about $10,000. I called back the next day but they told me that their daughter really liked the painting, so they’ve decided it should stay in the family. You see, they had done their research after I left, also. So, remember this story, and keep this in mind: If you come to the conclusion that something should be purchased, stop trying to convince yourself further and simply buy it.

You may find that this approach will produce several paintings that will only return you a small profit, but by taking a risk, you might end up with a piece that will make your whole year or even more.

Join Daryle Lambert's 31 Club, today. Put a Turbo Charge on your Antique & Collectible Treasure Hunting Skills. Get FREE MENTORING. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets that help you increase your profits. Continue to Grow Your Money Buying and Selling Antiques, Fine Art, and Collectibles with Daryle's Strategic Business Plan. Our Members are Newbies to Seasoned Dealers who are making more money than they thought possible.

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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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Carnival Glass, Virus Caution & Club Updates

The Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass is a valuable tool to add to your 31 Club Took Kit.

Late last night, I received a call from Cecil R. informing me that a comment posted on yesterday’s Blog was a VIRUS. I immediately deleted it. We will do everything in our power to protect you, but I encourage you to email us about anything suspicious you see someone place on our site at any time. I believe the comment was left by “akinogal” and was about running virus software. Keep your eye out for this one.

Back to the business at hand, Cecil also told me about another great piece of Carnival Glass he found. This time, it is an 11 inch, two flowers electric iridescent bowl. It seems like the better pieces are beginning to surface now. I even received a call early yesterday morning from a member, informing me of several Carnival pieces she was previewing at a local auction. There was a 10” Cherry Ice Cream Bowl and a Sugar Bowl at this particular auction.

Should you come face to face with Carnival Glass on your treasure hunting excursions, here’s a few tips: 1) Damage is deadly. Stay away from pieces, even if they have only a very small flake or chip. 2) Color is everything. Look for the pastels in ice blue, ice green, white, aqua, red, and check the Carnival book for others. 3) Plates usually less than 2” bring great money. These might appear to be “swallow bowls”, and can be 6” to 11” across. 4) Funeral Vases are a collector’s delight. They can be 15-18” high and have a head than can be 8-10” across. 5) Patterns can make the average piece of Carnival Glass command prices in the thousands. Animals on a piece almost always assure it will bring a fair price. If there is advertising on it, the price can double or triple. 6) There are auctions that deal in nothing but Carnival Glass, and if you should purchase a special item, they are more than willing to provide the sales service for you.

I’ve been interested in Carnival Glass for many years. I once purchased a pastel colored plate and sold it to a gentleman from Texas. He was so excited about this find that he drove all the way from his home to personally pick it up, and I was very pleased to accept his $5,000 check. Carnival is one of the items that has treated me well over the years. With a little study, you can become somewhat of an expert on it and cash in on your knowledge. I recommend some time spent with The Standard Encyclopedia of Carnival Glass, by Bill Edwards. Abesbooks has older copies of this book beginning at $1.61 for a 1998 copy and moving up in price from there. Amazon also has many used copies of this book. The April 2008 edition of this book is available in paperback for about $9. We really appreciate those who purchase through the blog. Every little bit helps keep us up, running and able to bring you this information everyday. There’s also an annual book of the top Carnival sales, and if you e-mail Cindy, listing “Carnival” in the subject, she will give you that information. cindy@31corp.com

I’ve been receiving calls from members for assistance while they are at auction previews or estate sales, and nothing pleases me more than to be able to help you in making decisions on pieces you see out there. This is what will help you achieve your goals and help 31 Club grow. Where else can you get questions answered and send you on your ascent up the 31 Steps and win your race to the million dollars? There’s been a missing link in this business for far too long, and 31 Club is that missing link.

Thanks so much to all the responses to our request for listing items in the 31 Marketplace. These listings will start to appear when Jeremy finishes with our website reconstruction. When others discover 31 Club has many of the rare and unusual items listed at fair prices, below retail, our traffic will increase tremendously, and your items will get huge exposure. Why below retail? Remember, we want to quickly turn the items so we can keep our money moving at all times. That means we don’t have to get retail for every item.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting skills. 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.

Visit our Website, here.

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.

Visit our Website, here.

Link:

Jim Rabby

Will You Find Diamonds or Rubies at Estate Sales?

#13 Giswold Cast Iron Skillet Sold for $925 on eBay on March 26, 2008

I checked the paper the other day and found a House Sale listing a Civil War Operating Table, so yesterday I made it out of the house early to check this out. Being from Kentucky, my mind told me that I might be the only person attending the sale who would have interest in this prize.

I arrived at the sale with my son, Joshua, and as we waited for Cindy to arrive, I began visualizing the purchase and sale of this table in my mind. I even visualized reporting this great find to you all in a Blog. When I entered the house, I immediately ran for the area where I was told this table was located. When I got there, my heart fell. This antique and highly collectible prize, already thought to me mine, had a price tag higher than the amount I had designated for the purchase. I’m sure Joshua and Cindy could see the disappointment in my face, but I tried to show a strong presence to them by saying I am sure there are other treasures here for us. I thought I was fooling myself, though. But, since we were already here, why not look around?

The first things I spotted were about 50 pieces of an amber Depression Glass set, I liked their price tag of $75. I asked if all the pieces were perfect. They were. I told the attendant I was willing to take the entire set for $60. He accepted that and this was the start of our shopping list. Next was a quick trip to the kitchen, where I found about 10 pieces of Griswold Cast Iron skillets and lids. At one time, I owned one of the largest collections of Griswold around. There were several skillet lids, skillets, and even a miniature. I quickly formed a large group of the pieces. I asked the attendant what these would cost me. He asked me what the tag showed. I told him that it showed $100, but I could give him $60. He added them to my list. This is when Cindy called me on my cell phone from an upstairs bedroom, so I was certain she found something. “I’m stranded up here, guarding some special books I don’t want to walk away from. It’s too many for me to carry,” she told me.

I went up there, and indeed she had found some great books, but there were tons more still on the bookcases. You should’ve seen the look in her eyes when I said, “Just start stacking them and I will carry as many as I can down the stairs. I’ll be back for the rest.” We did this until I must have carried 100 hundred books out of there, into the family room and plopped them down on a sofa.

But this story doesn't stop there. The family room had loads of bookshelves filled with more books. I dug in and by the time the two of us had finished there must have been 200 books on the living room couch. They were an assortment of books From Civil War books to Antiques and Collectibles, Fine Art, to Golf. There were so many that we had to take a blanket to cover them so that others would leave them alone. This helped, but I had to still tell several people that these books were sold.

Two pieces of Yellow Ware, some sewing items, a few advertising bottles, and a couple of Vintage Cigar Boxes completed our shopping. We might have missed the diamond, but I think we may well have found over $2,000 worth of rubies that we spent $287 on. It would have been very easy to just have walked away in disappointment. No, we didn't make $10,000. That will have to wait for another day.

Don’t just follow the daily Blog. Join with like-minded 31 Club Members. Turbo charge your treasure hunting today and start building a bank account big enough to last a lifetime. 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.

See the fine paintings we have listed in our gallery like the Texas Bluebonnet painting by William A. Slaughter. Works from Robert Woods, William Horton, Tom Darro and more. Our Hannah Barlow decorated Doulton Lambeth Vase is superb. Take a look here.

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Daryle Lambert: TEXAS BLUE BONNET PAINTINGS - Porfirio Salinas, Robert W. Wood, William A. Slaughter

William A. Slaughter 1923-2003

You might have have seen the work of Porfirio Salinas and Robert William Wood, landscape artists whose paintings are known for their Texas Blue Bonnets, but have you seen the work of William A. Slaughter? These artists are the best of the West when it comes to Blue Bonnet Paintings, the state flower of Texas. I believe Slaughter's work is undervalued, and once discovered, watch out!

Porfirio Salinas was born in Texas in 1910 and died in San Antonio Texas in 1973. He is best know for his Texas landscapes. He became friends with the next artist we will discuss Robert William Wood, and as the story goes, Wood would pay Salinas five dollars a painting to paint the blue bonnets on his canvases because he hated to paint them so much. The top auction record to date for a Salinas painting sold for $74,750 in October, 2007 at David Dike Auction. If you want to look it up for yourself, it was Lot 152. I would think that in today's market you might expect one of his better paintings to sell for twice that.

I haven't personally seen prints of Salinas paintings, but our next artist, Robert W. Wood, 1889-1979 may be better known for prints of his paintings than his actual paintings. I've seen prints of his work on calendars, place mats, wall hangings and even advertisements. Wood is known to be both a California and Texas artist. I once bought, if my memory serves me well, seven of his original paintings for $7,500 and sold the largest of them for $6,250 at Treadway Auction in September of 2002. This was a large painting, and I wish I still had it today. The total of five paintings that I sold brought in over $15,000, doubling my money, and the other two remain on my wall and are listed for in our gallery. The top price for one of Wood's paintings, according to auction records, was $45,410 through Heritage Auction Galleries in January of 2006. But don't expect to buy his better works for that price today.

Now for the youngster of the group, William A. Slaughter, born in San Antonio in 1923-2003. I'm sure he made the acquaintance of both Salinas and Wood . I believe, as time passes, Slaughter's work may become more valuable than the other two. I was fortunate to acquire one of his large paintings and have enjoyed it for many years. While my wife says she hopes it never sells, I have currently listed it in our 31 Gallery. I am continually looking to upgrade my personal collection, and the Slaughter painting is part of my personal collection. I can't upgrade my collection if I keep everything I buy. Click here to see this painting in more detail.

The great thing about being in this business is that you get to own and enjoy works produced by some of the greatest artists ever to inhabit this earth - possessed with talent that could only have come from God. I enjoy them while they are in my possession, and then I pass them on to others to enjoy. After all, we take nothing with us when we depart this earth.

Discover how my book, "31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles" can be the tool that helps you learn about antiques, collectibles and fine art, from the eyes of a professional. Learn to buy and sell valuable antiques, collectibles, and paintings for profit, then learn to turn your profit into riches, the way the wealthy do.

If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. Or, if you'd like to sell your item to us, contact us today.

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Daryle Lambert: Will Success Come to You in the Antiques, Collectibles, and Fine Art Markets?

I will never forget the words of wisdom my father shared with me as a boy. "Why see so little from the ground when you can soar with the eagles and see for miles?" And, "Why settle for mediocrity when magnificence is right around the corner?"

My father was a man of humble beginning, but through his faith in God and in his given abilities, he found an inner strength that I have seen in no one else. When I share my hopes for you, they are coming directly from the spirit that my dad imparted to me.

Yes, I do have confidence that you can reach any level of success regardless of how high it is. I ask you to consider the words my father gave me and take them to heart. He had faith in me, and I have faith in you.

Others will discourage you, and yes, you might even be discouraging yourself. But be un-frayed in your dogged determination to succeed. Be open to taking direction. Your success will be achieved by your acquiring knowledge and taking the appropriate actions. Then you will sit at the top of the mountain where the eagles rest.

Make a study of how wealthy people think. Do you realize they think differently than most people? There are plenty of books out there about wealth and wealthy people, and we've included some of the best, on our recommended reading list. Understand the "millionaire mindset," as Cindy calls it, and begin to make it your mindset. If you can't see yourself as being successful or wealthy, you won't be. Being wealthy is a way of thinking. These books can help you examine the thoughts that run through your head. If you discovered that what you think about might be holding you back, wouldn't you want to know how to change those thoughts? If you haven't yet selected a book or two from this recommended book list, why not do that now? Get out of the gate with the right thinking and give yourself a healthy start. You'll find things will become much easier for you after that.

In my book, "31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques and Collectibles," and here on this Blog, I stress the rare and higher end of the market. Why? Because this is where the challenge is.

Aim high. Now, I don't expect people to be running out and looking at high priced items right out of the gate. You have to have knowledge about these things. When you start out, you're buying lower range items and acquiring knowledge at the same time. Learn as you earn. Each time you buy something, you'll be studying about that item by researching its possible value, and where you might sell it. That process is an education in itself.

When you set yourself up to study about something during the week, whether it be pottery, antique bottles, glass, paintings, collectible radios, or anything you have an interest in, you are expanding your knowledge base and arming yourself for the next time you go out or look on the Internet at items. Pick out your interest and pursue it. Pursue it as if nothing else matters until you have the confidence that comes only by this extraordinary effort.

Have you visited the library to browse through books? Have you visited any Antique Shows and asked the dealers questions until you thought your time with them had expired? Are you keeping ongoing lists, noting the rare in your particular area of study? Price Guides can tell you this. Reviewing past sales and photos at auction houses from the comfort of your computer chair works wonders. Completed sales listings on Ebay, sorted from the highest price to the lowest price is a great tool. Make note of the more rare and higher end of whatever subject you are studying. Review, review, review. Put things on notecards if you want. Study in a way that works for you.

How many people have you spoken to about what you're doing? Do you have others whom you've asked for support in your new direction? Is your company set up, and have you made your $100 deposit in your company checking account? Do you have business cards? How many have you given out each day? Can you commit to giving out a certain number of business cards to people you've spoken to about what you're doing?

Have you called and checked in with me? I offer my continual help to all who call.

In the service, soldiers are pushed to their limits to find out who they really are as men. Do I mean that your quest must be twenty-four hours a day? No. In fact, just the opposite is true. In my book, I state that you don't have to change your current life to complete the 31 Steps. How can that be? It sounds contradictory. Not at all. What I'm stating is that whatever time you do give for you new quest, give it 100% of your effort for that time. This may only be five to ten hours a week, but used wisely, it will be enough.

I had a heart felt concern yesterday when I received a comment from one of our readers about the Blog I wrote about Marsha's success. I could feel their suffering as they expressed negative opinions about the successful day that Marsha had. It seemed they wanted to down play it and diminish the joy that was felt that day. The questions and comments had a negative feel and asked -- Are they sold? Will you have to list it on Ebay 6 times? Will you have people knocking down your door to buy from you because you're offering the best at fair prices? Finally, the person got to the real center of the concern. "To me this business is kind of like kissing frogs - in addition to the big wins out there, there are a lot of bloopers that I think we all need to experience to pay for our education."

I don't believe that we need to experience failure to be successful. That is why the 31 Club and my staff are here for you. We're here to help prevent those bloopers that, evidently, this person has experienced.

I sincerely hope that the writer of these comments will join us by following our plan, and will give me a call. For those who stick with the plan and commit to putting in 100% effort for the time they spend with this, I know that within a year's time, their outlook will be bright.

When you have a mindset like a millionaire, and put in 100% effort during the time you devote to this business, you won't have to find success. Success will come to you.

Join me and the rest of the 31 Club right here. You'll get my book, "31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles" for FREE. Or, if you're not quite sure about joining and have some questions you'd like to ask me, or just want to talk with me, E-mail me at info@31corp.com. I'll personally see to it that we set up a time to talk with one another.

Discover how the 31 Club, together with my book, "31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles" can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art. Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Need to read more about the 31 Club? Read an article here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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What Really Counts When Looking for Value in Fine Art Paintings?

I often see art work that might be several hundred years old but sells for under $2,500. Wouldn't something that old be worth so much more? So many of the older paintings are not signed, so unless you have provenance, meaning a record of ownership from the time it was painted, most likely the price for it will be rather meager.

For example, I bought a painting in Kansas City years ago and thought I was going to strike it really big on this one. It was a Madonna from the 16th century, and I was almost certain it had been painted by one of the great masters. Paying considerable money to have it authenticated, I found out it was probably from one of the masters studios, but not by the master himself. I had paid $2,500 for this painting and sold it for only $3,500 two years later. Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed, and I learned a valuable lesson I won't soon forget.

But, age is only one element in your search for value in paintings.

Subject matter is also an important element. Some subject matter is in more demand than others and is an important consideration The Kentucky artist, Harvey Joiner is an artist known for his landscapes, even though he painted portraits the first twenty years of his life and painted portraits of the first five Indiana Governors. So, it will most likely be this artist's landscapes that bring the best value. When I was able to pick up a portrait Joiner had painted at an unbelievable price, I was hoping it might bring as much as his landscapes, today. It was a rather large painting, and Joiner was quite masterful in his portraiture. Now if you looked at size and compared it to the selling prices of his landscapes, which are much smaller, you'd think it could possibly bring in $15,000 to $20,000. But it brought in $3,700. This piece was signed by a great artist, but not what the buyers were looking for that day, and maybe not any other day. But as a buy on my part, it still brought in over twelve times what I paid, so it certainly fit the criteria for having bought it in the first place.

Locating paintings by a listed artist who has sold at auction, is another component. Having sold at auction gives the public a comparison as far as pricing. If you find a painting that a person can't find any record of, your chances for getting top dollar for the painting are slim. Also, often living artists don't have enough of a body of work for many people to collect. This means that the number of paintings the artist has produced can have a bearing on his value. I often say that if you found the greatest painter in the world, but he only painted one painting, the odds are that the piece would never have any great monetary value. Services such as AskArt and ArtNet have auction prices available but are subscriber based. Members of our 31 Club looking at paintings and do not have subscriptions to these services, can call us for help. We'll explore the available information on these sites to help discover if you've found a listed artist, and what the particulars are about that artist, including current auction prices.

So where are we? First, being old can count if the painting is by a listed artist or you have provenance. Second, it should be a painting that is in the style people are looking for. If a painter is known for seascapes, then his landscapes are likely to bring less, as a general rule. Third, be sure that the artist has a formidable body of work so he or she can be collected.

Condition is the next issue to consider. Always check for repairs, whether they are in painting, tear repairs, perhaps a new stretcher, fake signatures (which can be detected under a black light), relining (putting a new canvas on the back of the original to give the old canvas integrity or hide repairs) and cleaning to the point that the actual painting is weak because so much of it has been removed from the surface.

Now you know why I took up buying and selling paintings much later in my career. There is so much to learn. So, I would say that while you are learning, become friends with people that are knowledgeable about paintings until you have the confidence in your own judgement. One of my largest purchases at the time, was taken to my friends at the Cincinnati Art Gallery to verify my opinion. Never hesitate to admit if there is something you don't know.

Cindy has asked that I write several blogs on paintings, so this will be the first in a series. Be sure to keep posted. She made this request because this is an area of high interest to her, as well as many others, and today, we are going on an adventure where she hopes to find a painting that could be her first real treasure. Please wish her the best. You see, I didn't say to wish her luck, because she has spent many hours now preparing herself to recognize a good quality piece if she sees it. You don't need luck when you have knowledge.
Discover how the 31 Club, together with our book, can be the tool that helps you begin building personal wealth using antiques, collectibles and fine art, rather than the conventional methods of using stock, bonds, and real estate investing. You won't find results like these through your bank or your stock broker! Find out more about joining our growing community of antique and art wealth builders here.

Read more about The Million Dollar Challenge 31 Club members are participating in, here.

If you haven't yet had a chance to see what we've got listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace, click on over and take a look. You might even find a real bargain. We've got many high quality items priced reasonably. If you have a high quality piece you'd like us to find a buyer for, why not consign your item to us. No high fees when you sell with us.

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