Quality in Unidentified Art

A Jean Faurege Paris Steet Scene sold for $5,000 at 31 Club Gallery & Marketplace

Did you ever spot a painting but kept on walking because you couldn’t find out who the artist was?

Sunday, at the Chicago Antique, I purchased a small oil painting in a wonderful gilded leaf frame for $120. Cindy asked if I knew the artist, and I told her I didn’t. She asked me why I bought it. Cindy isn’t afraid to ask questions because she wants to learn. I told her I bought it because it’s signed, so if I can figure out who the artist is, I might have found a treasure. Now, I didn’t buy just any signed painting. It was very well done, and it also had a wonderful gilded leaf frame that was worth more than I paid for the painting.

I also purchased a very nice signed watercolor that was also very well done. I couldn’t pass it up for $30. I researched the name on the Internet and have e-mailed the artist to verify that it is her work. If the e-mail comes back positive, it could make my month.

Did I start out looking for a $30 painting? Not at all. Truthfully, I had more like $5,000 on my mind, but this $30 painting could bring a couple thousand. That ain’t so bad, as this country boy would say.

Go to our Fine Art Gallery and look at the painting by Jean Faurege. It just sold for $5000, because it has the quality of an Edouard Leon Cortes or an Antoine Blanchard. No, you won't find Faurege in Davenport’s or on AskArt.com, but his work is outstanding. True collectors can appreciate it for what it is.

By the way, you did hear me correctly. This painting sold right here on our Marketplace for $5,000. This could have been your painting.

A 31 Club Member called yesterday to ask me about several paintings they spotted, of which only one had any interest. It was what she called a “couch painting.” But, after hearing her describe it, I knew that it should be purchased at about $50, and that had been the price that was in her mind to offer. At $50, she couldn’t go wrong. I’m hoping she acquired it because it might turn out to be a real find.

When you see a painting, you must judge the quality of the piece before you pass it by. No, you can’t pay $5,000 for an unidentified painting, but what about $100 or even $200. This may well be the best buy you make for a while.

The secret is to be able to examine an item and make a quick decision on what to do next. Time can quickly pass by and indecision will cost you money. Even an occasional mistake can be quickly overcome by correct decisions made quickly before someone else beats you out.

I have seen people pay hundreds of dollars for a potato that looks like some special person, knowing full well that the potato will shrivel up and rot after a short period of time. This makes me feel confident in buying items that I think are well worth the money, because I know they won't shrivel away.

Thursday, I’ll be leaving for the Smokies for ten days, but I’ll have a cell phone and computer if you need me, and also Cindy will be there to serve your emails and calls.

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Treasure Hunting for Antiques & Collectibles Can be a Family Business with Many Rewards

I was privileged to have one of our members at my house the other day, and she brought her nine year old son along for the ride. I ended up spending a couple of hours with him on the computer and talking about our business. He was intrigued with the thought of making money by going to garage sales. His mother could hardly keep him at my house because he wanted to go out hunting for treasure right away. I’m wondering if his response has a special lesson to teach us.

In our haste to become successful, I hope we haven’t forgotten to take our children along with us. It’s never too early to share how to go fishing, as the Bible tells us. Let’s stop giving our children fish to eat and start teaching them how to fish for themselves at an early age. This way. We’ll never have to worry about them providing for themselves later in life.

My son, Joshua, has more fun going treasure hunting with me than almost anything he does. Often he’ll say, “Daddy, how about that vase over there? Would that be something interesting for us?” Out of the mouth babes, especially if it happens to be an artist signed piece of Rookwood.

He does have a passion for trains and lava lamps, and I encourage him to keep his eyes open for these pieces. When he finds something, we discuss the price that we’d pay for it. If the seller isn't agreeable to that price, Joshua says “Daddy, that's all it’s worth, right?” He never seems to be disappointed, he just starts looking for something else. I think that he’s learned some lessons that will serve him well in later life.

The Kid’s Connection is still waiting for more questions to be answered. I’m going to ask Joshua to write about something he’s interested in so I can include it in a future blog. He wants this section of our blog to be attractive to the kids and he’s attending “Apple One on One” at the Apple store so he’ll be able to put up videos and podcasst for the kids. I am still trying to find out what a podcast is.

By spending time with your children treasure hunting, there may be some surprises there for you also. Have you looked at the auction prices for toys these days? It is nothing for a toy to bring $25,000 to $30,000 or more. How about the Hot Wheels VW Bus that sold for $18,000? A box of marbles just sold for almost $20,000. And they say these are children's toys! I don't think so. Our member, Marsha, called yesterday to tell me about a metal rocking horse she just bought. I can’t wait to see its value.

Shared time pays great rewards, now and forever. I think a wise man said that I just can't remember who.

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.

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

Adventures in Antiquing: Chicago's Randolph St. Market Festival

Chanel Black Leather Classic Quilted Handbag is offered at Ladybag International for $2,100.

I have told you in the past that one of the greatest pluses in the Antique and Fine Art Business is sharing great things with your friends, meeting interesting people and forming relationships. Cindy and I were able to do just that yesterday, when Sally, a 31 Club Member and owner of the Randolph Street Market Festival, (formerly the Chicago Antique Market) invited us to visit the market. It was like going home. The difference between this market from last year is that it’s much larger and better attended. In fact, the parking lot where we usually parked the car is now filled with dealers.

With the band playing, the food sizzling, and a colorful array of urban dwellers in attendance, you could feel the energy and excitement at this market located in the heart of Chicago. Where are those who stated the Antique, Fine Art and Collectibles markets were over? Booths were filled, and customers were buying. Sally and Sarah were as busy as bees, which was no surprise to me.

But, let’s talk about what the dealers were offering. First, we ran across Doris and Mike, who had an assortment of the best Bakelite Jewelry you will ever see, as usual. But, it looked to me as if they’d expanded their Indian Jewelry and Pottery selections.

Next we spoke with a gentleman who does furniture refinishing, and he shared that his business has been so brisk that he’s booked through the end of the year. I was so please when he shared with Cindy and me what our book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles, has meant to him. He told us that he read it all in one day. I hope to have him serve as one of our experts on furniture, and hopefully you will see his company logo on our site soon.

If you know Chicago, you know the weather can suddenly change, and change it sure did. A warm sunny day suddenly turned into a chilly rainstorm. While the outdoor vendors covered up their wares, the indoor market, inside the historical Plumber’s Building, was going strong.

Cindy quickly made her way over to say hello and chat with Adrienne Astrologo of Ladybag International. Last summer, our booth was right across from Adrienne’s eye opening collection of vintage designer handbags, and Cindy spent a good deal of time chatting and looking at Adrienne’s collection. Little did she know at the time that Ladybag International is the largest and best known dealer of vintage designer handbags world wide.

This collection of vintage designer handbags has some of the finest examples from the1960’s to present. There was a large collection of Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, and many more sought after vintage bags all in excellent condition. Cindy dragged me over to take a look at a Judith Leiber, made with Swarovski Crystal, that was hidden away. Wow! Handbags is something I'm not too familiar with, as you can probably guess, and when Cindy told me some of the asking prices on these vintage treasures, I suffered a case of sticker shock for a while after that.

Adrienne’s book, High Fashion Handbags, published through Shiffer Collector Books last November, was displayed, so Cindy had a chance to go through it. Cindy tells me that this is one fabulous book. Adrienne Astrologo proves me wrong in one way. I’ve said that you can’t be a one way dealer, but she is the rare exception.

Before we headed back, I managed to pick up a small oil painting in an antique gold gilded frame and a watercolor painting that I've already researched. I believe the watercolor is the work of an English artist who I've already located and e-mailed to see if it is, in fact, her work.

I was a little disappointed I didn’t see the Children’s Collector’s Club this year, and I do hope it will be revived. We are going to need the young to assure future appreciation and success for all the Antique and Collectible business. I hope to talk with Sally and offer to support this activity at the Market.

I am still asking our readers for suggestions on possible subjects to write about in the blog. This is one way I can answer your questions and share information with other readers that could be vital to them.

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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.

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.

Summer Antique Markets and Flea Markets

Cindy and I will be attending the first antique market for us this summer; the Randolph Street Market Festival, formerly the Chicago Antique Market. If Cindy can get our new video camera operating right, we hope to have some video to share with you of our adventure at this urban market and festival, including a visit with Sally Schwartz, who owns the event.

If you’ve been following our blog, you might recall that Sally is a member of 31 Club, and last summer, she sold a valuable Pauline Palmer Painting that had been in her family, and its six digit figure sale changed her life. She was able to buy out her partner’s share of the Chicago Antique Market and make it her own. (Here's the story Cindy wrote about it.) We sure hope that if you’re in Chicago this summer, you’ll pay a visit to this fine summer urban market.

This visit to the market will give Cindy and me a chance to reacquaint ourselves with the new dealers we met last summer, as well as a chance to visit with old friends.

I have been assured that there will be great paintings, pottery and glass, so you know I will be feeling as if I’m near heaven as I browse around inside and out for true treasures. Sally has wanted to create an atmosphere of a Paris Festival, and with her talent, I certain it will be just that.

Remember to take your time as you approach each booth at a market or flea market, and see if you can pick out the better pieces from a distance. As you practice, you will be able to eye the items that are of interest, and the other items will quickly pass from your eyesight. When I started attending Flea Markets, it was an all day job, but today I can usually complete a market in under four hours, regardless of its size.

When you do spot something of interest, be sure to inspect it for damage first, and then ask the dealer to tell you all he knows about the piece. Often, you will know as much as he does, but be sure to be attentive. If it happens to be something you want to buy, your attentiveness will start you out on his good side.

Before you start negotiating for anything, always identify yourself as a dealer. This usually assures you of at least a 25% discount, while the normal discount to the public is 10%. Other dealers know that you must be able to make a profit from the items you buy, so most of them will work with you. If for some reason you can't come to an agreement on price, be sure to return later. If the item is still there, take another pass at it. If the pieces is over priced, most dealers will know that you are aware of this, and a 50% discount can be in the cards and may well be accepted.

The later in the day, or later into the event, the lower your price should be. The reason for this is that if you are the first to see a special piece, then the dealer could have it underpriced so a very little discount could be in order, but as the sale progresses more and more people will have looked at the piece, so at the asking price it probably isn't a bargain, if they have passed on it.

I will be leaving for the Smokies next Thursday, so I hope that every member will use these next few days to prepare for the ten days I will be away. Yes, I will have my cell phone for you if that special items becomes available, and I’ll have a laptop to continue the Blogs, but I do hope to rest a little and have fun with the family.

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.

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31 Club Helps Members Trade in Higher End Antiques, Collectibles & Fine Art

A Member of the 31 Club Located this Historical Document Signed by Patrick Henry, and it was then purchased through the 31 Club Associates Program.

When we started the 31 Club, we aimed at formulating a plan that would help people walk the success steps of life. The ideas that have come from meetings with Cindy, Chris, Clarke and Jeremy have spoken about many have proven worthy of our efforts, but one program that your 31 Club has started is beginning to stand out above some of the others. That is the Associates Program.

The Associates Program gives members the opportunity to participate in a transaction when they find and present an outstanding item to the 31 Club for purchase. If we are able to buy the piece, the member will receive 35% of the net profit of the transaction.

We now have Associates in Texas, Kentucky, Michigan and Illinois. I feel certain that in the coming months, we will have a 31 Club Associate in every state. Through this program, you will have the opportunity to advance in your Race to the Millions faster than it might be possible to advance by yourself.

If you don't fully understand the program and would like a more complete explanation, e-mail me at info@31corp.com and put “Associates Program” in the subject line.

We have transactions in the final stages on items we’ve purchased when 31 Club Members found a great item, didn’t have the funds to purchase it, but called us to buy it using the Associates Program. When these transactions are completed, members will be putting thousands of dollars in their pockets, while at the same time, they are receiving the best education possible in the Antiques, Collectible and Fine Art field.

Already in partnership with members of the 31 Club, we’ve purchased a valuable historical document signed by Patrick Henry, a painting by Walter Darby Bannard worth thousands of dollars, Rookwood and Muncie lamps, and several other paintings that will soon be appearing in our Gallery & Marketplace.

We are waiting for each one of our members to take advantage of perhaps the greatest benefit you’ll receive for becoming a member of the 31 Club.

Something interesting and humorous happened yesterday when I received an e-mail from one of my favorite people and one of our earliest members. She told me about an Estate Sale where a Rookwood Lamp and a Muncie Lamp were being offered. She thought they were priced a little high, so she asked what would be a good price to offer them the next day when the price would be reduced. I immediately sent her back an e-mail to call me because I thought we could have a good laugh together. She got right back to me, and I had to tell her that I had already purchased the two lamps the day before.

Here’s what happened: I got a call the day before from another lady who was interested in the sale, and she told me about these wonderful lamps. She was interested in purchasing these using the Associates Program. So, I called the person conducting the sale to see if we could buy them. I was told it wasn’t possible, but if I called the next day after 12:00 noon and they hadn’t been sold, I could have them. I called and they were available.

Naturally, I bargained a little before completing the sale. I’m sure the same thing could happen in the future where two people see the same sales ad and call me. So, if there’s something you think might be interesting to us to buy through the Associates Program, the sooner we are notified, the better. And remember, the Associates Program is for Members Only. So, it you’re still hanging out and just following the blog, it’s time to get off the fence and join us today.

This story brings back that old saying: The Early Bird Gets The Worm.

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

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Ephemera & Paper Collectibles Find at a Country Flea Market

Peter F. Rothermel's 1851 painting of Patrick Henry's "Treason" speech before the House of Burgesses. A Patrick Henry Historical Document will soon be listed in the 31 Gallery & Marketplace.


Little did our 31 Club Member, Cecil, know that a real country flea market in Greenville, Kentucky was the setting that would put him at the right place to uncover a treasure. In case you’re wondering, a real country flea market is one of those markets where you can buy chickens, pigs, ducks and even a mule if you need one. You might also find homemade jams and jellies and a selection of tempting cakes and pies, and an assortment of other merchandise.

”I was walking down the rows of booths,” Cecil told me, “and my eyes focused on a pile of old papers. After some study, I discovered that they were stock certificates for the Nashville, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Companies. I counted them, and there were 55 of them. I asked the dealer the price for all of them, and I was surprised that he asked so much -- $90. I bought them anyway.”

Cecil listed one certificate that night and was surprised that there were already bids on this item the next morning. When the auction was completed, the final bid was $27.

“I estimated a price on the remaining certificates,” Cecil said. “Then I added them up and saw that my $90 investment could come near to $1,500 by the time I’m done.”

Can you imagine this much money for “worthless paper” that wasn’t even filled out?

As I’ve said before, there’s a collector for almost anything, and you can be sure that the attraction of these certificates will be from those who collect Railroad or Transportation items.

I am consistently amazed at how Cecil can pluck out treasure after treasure, even at an event like this one.

How many times have you gone to a garage sale or a flea market and seen stacks and stacks of paper lying in a heap? Newspapers, Magazines, Advertising, and maybe even some old stock certificates are often put out at sales like these. I've seen people looking through these stacks, just looking -- having no idea what they were looking for. And if there was something valuable, it would’ve gone unnoticed.

Cecil never misses the chance to browse through old paper, and it was his browsing that turned up a Historical Document from the time of the Revolutionary War, signed by none other than Patrick Henry. ("Give me Liberty or give me death”) This document is in the process of being listed in our Marketplace for a very reasonable $4,850. Cecil used the 31 Club’s Associate Program to help purchase this historical piece.

I think you’ll agree that Cecil had a pretty good week. Remember, this is the same Cecil who bought ten vintage travel posters, still in their tubes, for $30 each yet still hasn’t listed them. I’m hoping he will list them on our marketplace, because I know a least one of the posters is selling today for about $12,000!

Paper collectibles has been very good to Cecil and Paper can be good to you if you’ll study and gain the knowledge necessary to separate the wheat from the chaff. Perhaps one of the reasons I enjoy writing about Cecil so much is because I know where the first fruits from his grains go.

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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