American folk Art - Who is the Judge?

I have noticed that, as of late, the Folk Art Auctions are bringing huge money for pieces that a few years ago would have been of little value.

Slotin Folk Art Auction realized some outstanding results at their recent auction. Bill Taylors painting "Blue Cat" - 7" by 11", sold for $42,550.00 while a Meader face jug brought $16,100.00. You can see the results of this auction in the Maine Antique Digest on page D-6.

Most of this art was sold at art fairs or flea markets in the past for very little money. Now they may be found in estate sales or garage sales for reasonable prices. By purchasing these, you can often make a huge profit.

There was a group of Florida artists that sold their paintings on the roadside to tourists and their paintings now are bringing thousands of dollars. You should always be looking for the unusual because often that will be your greatest treasures when found. I have become a friend of Doug Odom, a leading outsider artist, and he has helped me greatly in my knowledge of outsider art work.

Doug's work is now being displayed in the finer art galleries and the last I heard some of his pieces have exceeded $15,000.00. He has just finished a showing in Chicago and will be back next month. The reason that I like this type of merchandise is that there are still only a few people that realize the value of these pieces. If you become knowledgable in the folk art field, there is plenty of money to be made. You would be well-advised to research this emerging market. Happy Hunting!