Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The Art Hunters Handbook: How To Buy Art For $5 And Sell It For $1,000,000

The Art Hunters Handbook: How To Buy Art For $5 And Sell It For $1,000,000


Les and Sue Fox

West Highland Fine Art & Publishing, May 15 2012, $16.95’

ISBN: 9780615593906



Though obviously a self-help book offering advice to readers to recognize one of the estimated 50 million paintings that may be for sale at a yard sale, there is much more for us armchair buyers who enjoy looking at paintings. The Fox pair insist that discovering lost valuable art by chance is at best slim to none as the buyer must have an idea what to look for; how often at a yard sale occurs or at Goodwill which has paintings that have been ignored as someone’s family junk. The keys are to know who the famous artists are in order to recognize one of their works (though without the book being handy recognition will be difficult) and how to tell a reprint from an original (easy to use tips included). The authors provide a list of 120 artists with a sample of their work sold at auction and their trademark signature. The tone is set with the opening story of Ripening Pears bought for $5.00 at a garage sale because the purchaser liked it and sold for when he decided to obtain a new frame and learned its value as $1,000,000 though that was an accident but affirms they are out there even at a hot dog stand. The Art Hunters Handbook is a well written guide with terrific photos of paintings by artists who Les and Sue Fox believe have valuable works to be found.



Harriet Klausner



No comments: