Fact checking the art auction.

[craftsnvines]

Yea, I'm a sucker, got a buzz on that cheap champagne, went and applied for that credit and I was hooked. My husband found me and bid his butt off and we bought too much. $2500.00 worth of art, and only one of them was in a frame. I got home, googled and found out I hot got scammed. That art isn't worth nothing, I could have got it half price on ebay.

5 years later it is still sitting in the round containers that it was mailed.

 

On another note, when I got home I started looking at artwork at yard sales and found an original piece of artwork by John Hare and talked her down from $1.00 to 25 cents. It's worth $600.00, says art auction.

 

 

So I did learn a big lesson, don't let my husband find me.

LOOK BUT DON"T TOUch or bid!:eek:

[stompy]

Yea, I'm a sucker, got a buzz on that cheap champagne, went and applied for that credit and I was hooked. My husband found me and bid his butt off and we bought too much. $2500.00 worth of art, and only one of them was in a frame. I got home, googled and found out I hot got scammed. That art isn't worth nothing, I could have got it half price on ebay.

5 years later it is still sitting in the round containers that it was mailed.

 

On another note, when I got home I started looking at artwork at yard sales and found an original piece of artwork by John Hare and talked her down from $1.00 to 25 cents. It's worth $600.00, says art auction.

 

 

So I did learn a big lesson, don't let my husband find me.

LOOK BUT DON"T TOUch or bid!:eek:

 

As long as you LIKE the art there's nothing wrong with it-hang it in the bathroom and enjoy looking at it.

[Rala]

As long as you LIKE the art there's nothing wrong with it-hang it in the bathroom and enjoy looking at it.

 

I agree ,but I think that craftsnvines may have bought the art as an investment thinking to re-sell it and make some money,

 

craftsnvines...thank you for being so upfront and honest. We all make mistakes, but we don't always acknowledge that we do.

[mommabean]

As long as you LIKE the art there's nothing wrong with it-hang it in the bathroom and enjoy looking at it.

 

Funny you mention this. I DO have a "free" print (for $35 shipping) that I've wanted to hang in the bathroom. I "won" it on a Carnival cruise. I haven't been able to find a pre-made frame that will fit it and I'm not about to pay the custom framing price. I should have just bought the cheapest Park West frame so it would be ready to hang. We do like it just for the fun souvenir aspect of it so the $35 was worth it to us - although we couldn't get that much for it on ebay.

 

OK, I admit it. We have yet another print ($35 shipping) we won on RCI that we want to hang over the bed. Same problem...no frame.

 

No, we never bought a print. But we were willing to pay the shipping although we could have backed out. We want to hang them and for $35 we thought it would give us some good laughs. The laugh is on us though I think since they are still in the tubes - like probably 90% of the prints sold by Park West.

 

Gina

[mommabean]

Oh...the really sad thing is that I hear they have these same auctions on Celebrity.

 

Does anyone know if there is any cruise line that DOESN'T have Park West auctions on board? I mean affordable cruise lines - not Silver Seas or similar.

 

Gina

[stompy]

I agree ,but I think that craftsnvines may have bought the art as an investment thinking to re-sell it and make some money,

 

craftsnvines...thank you for being so upfront and honest. We all make mistakes, but we don't always acknowledge that we do.

 

I have noticed that the folks who get "taken" the most, ie. paid $12,000 for a signed Dali print, are also looking at their purchase as if they were going to step off the boat and turn it around for $50K... If that were true, why wouldn't Park West be selling them themselves that way...?

 

I'd never pay four figures (or higher) unless I had a buyer lined up and knew something about what I was purchasing.

[stompy]

Funny you mention this. I DO have a "free" print (for $35 shipping) that I've wanted to hang in the bathroom. I "won" it on a Carnival cruise. I haven't been able to find a pre-made frame that will fit it and I'm not about to pay the custom framing price. I should have just bought the cheapest Park West frame so it would be ready to hang. We do like it just for the fun souvenir aspect of it so the $35 was worth it to us - although we couldn't get that much for it on ebay.

 

OK, I admit it. We have yet another print ($35 shipping) we won on RCI that we want to hang over the bed. Same problem...no frame.

 

No, we never bought a print. But we were willing to pay the shipping although we could have backed out. We want to hang them and for $35 we thought it would give us some good laughs. The laugh is on us though I think since they are still in the tubes - like probably 90% of the prints sold by Park West.

 

Gina

 

Well at least you paid a good price for them.

 

Michaels has some good large shadow-box type frames that you could easily matte the pic and then frame the matte with a standard frame size

[stompy]

Oh...the really sad thing is that I hear they have these same auctions on Celebrity.

 

Does anyone know if there is any cruise line that DOESN'T have Park West auctions on board? I mean affordable cruise lines - not Silver Seas or similar.

 

Gina

 

If everyone seems to have bad experiences with them I wonder how they stay in business on the ships?

 

Is it just a case of "The Emperor's New Clothes?"

 

I mean I'll complain and hoot and holler over Johnny rockets going from $3.95 to $4.95 or a $50 fuel surcharge - how come class action suits and $10,000 expenditures for fake items don't engender the same outrage and get these crooks off the boats?

 

-hmm maybe it's the free champagne...?

[Mack2]

Oh...the really sad thing is that I hear they have these same auctions on Celebrity.

 

Does anyone know if there is any cruise line that DOESN'T have Park West auctions on board? I mean affordable cruise lines - not Silver Seas or similar.

 

Gina

 

 

Princess.

 

I was on a Princess cruise... Grand Princess -2007

They do not use Park West as their art auctioneer... they have their own "in-house" Princess owned gallery.

 

That being said... same stuff, same prices.

 

They didn't have the Benfield I was looking for, but they did have The Alexander Chens, Peter Max's, and other guys that are seen on other cruises.

 

 

Again... I don't agree with the folks that poo-poo on the art auctions at sea.

Compared to what I can get on land at other galleries for the same artists... they don't seem that bad... you just have to know what you're getting into.

 

 

A lot of the negative internet press they are getting seem to originate from one source.

Fine Art Registry (aka Fine Art Advocate, aka Salvadoredalifakes) gets a lot of hits on Google.

 

Jus participating in this thread and checking sources... it's rampant... I hardly knew prior to this thread... Fine Art Registry is over the top.

[mommabean]

Well at least you paid a good price for them.

 

Michaels has some good large shadow-box type frames that you could easily matte the pic and then frame the matte with a standard frame size

 

I thought of this once while in a hobby lobby while out of town. We don't have hobby lobby. There is a nice Michaels and Joann's about 30 minutes away. It's just a matter of getting around to going there and remembering to take my dimensions with me. The matte will probably need to be custom made.

 

I even thought of getting one of those very large pictures from Wal-mart that come with the matte already in it. So what if it covers a bit of my picture as long as most of it's showing. But those giant size pictures they carry aren't large enough. I'm surprised at how big these prints are.

 

Thanks for your input. That seems like the most reasonably priced option for prints that aren't worth any more than a basic poster. I still think they are worthy of something a bit nicer than a poster frame.

 

Gina

[mommabean]

Princess.

 

I was on a Princess cruise... Grand Princess -2007

They do not use Park West as their art auctioneer... they have their own "in-house" Princess owned gallery.

 

That being said... same stuff, same prices.

 

They didn't have the Benfield I was looking for, but they did have The Alexander Chens, Peter Max's, and other guys that are seen on other cruises.

 

 

Again... I don't agree with the folks that poo-poo on the art auctions at sea.

Compared to what I can get on land at other galleries for the same artists... they don't seem that bad... you just have to know what you're getting into.

 

 

A lot of the negative internet press they are getting seem to originate from one source.

Fine Art Registry (aka Fine Art Advocate, aka Salvadoredalifakes) gets a lot of hits on Google.

 

Jus participating in this thread and checking sources... it's rampant... I hardly knew prior to this thread... Fine Art Registry is over the top.

 

Ugh! NO! I don't mean no to Princess. I mean, I was going to say with NO art auctions but I assumed Park West was the only company doing this. Since Carnival uses them, you'd think Princess would, too.

 

Maybe the cruise lines allow this because it's just one more activity available to keep us busy. And the chance for a little free cheap champagne. AND they make a little money in order to subsidize our cheap cruise prices. :p

 

I'd just like to try a cruise without them...without seeing them anywhere. And see if I miss them. :rolleyes:

 

Gina

[paulap70]

I thought of this once while in a hobby lobby while out of town. We don't have hobby lobby. There is a nice Michaels and Joann's about 30 minutes away. It's just a matter of getting around to going there and remembering to take my dimensions with me. The matte will probably need to be custom made.

 

I even thought of getting one of those very large pictures from Wal-mart that come with the matte already in it. So what if it covers a bit of my picture as long as most of it's showing. But those giant size pictures they carry aren't large enough. I'm surprised at how big these prints are.

 

Thanks for your input. That seems like the most reasonably priced option for prints that aren't worth any more than a basic poster. I still think they are worthy of something a bit nicer than a poster frame.

 

Gina

 

 

Michael's online ad today has 60% off custom framing order coupon. Pretty good deal (but also speaks volumes about the markup!). I have also found Michael's to have a good selection of picture and poster frames. Maybe you could find something there. Good luck!

[mommabean]

Look at this! This one is framed and I can't believe anyone thinks they can get even close to this price.

 

It's the one I "won" on Carnival and the reason I selected it was because it's done the same way the Carnival commercial used to be done - with little pictures making up the big picture. I want to hang her over the toilet in the bathroom to stare at my husband while he goes. :p

 

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/clt/1465764415.html

 

Gina

[craftsnvines]

I agree ,but I think that craftsnvines may have bought the art as an investment thinking to re-sell it and make some money,

 

craftsnvines...thank you for being so upfront and honest. We all make mistakes, but we don't always acknowledge that we do.

 

Uh, no I had no intention of reselling them. When I got home, I looked on ebay and found exact same items hundreds of dollars less. Plus, has anyone heard anything about all the people suing Park West? They were filmed lying and deceiving people while on a cruise. Google it.

I got a better deal at a yard sale. I learned my lesson.

[shaggyofwv]

My wife and I enjoy the art auctions. We find them entertaining, and even sometimes educational. We have been to at least 10 auctions at sea. I wish they would still serve mimosas, it helped wash down the cheap champagne!

 

I agree with previous people who have said that you should NOT buy as an investment.

 

If you really like a work then all that matters is what it is worth to you.

[andawayigo]

I was on Celebrity last month and they were not using Park West.

[Tranquil Waters]

I have been cautioning people on these auctions for years...

Unfortunately, there are a lot of cruisers snowed by this...who actually defend it...and claim THEY got a great deal...talk about naive...

 

First thing I guess I'll tell you about me is that MAYBE I know a little more about the business than most...I am a real estate lawyer, but at one time in my early career, I was actually offered a job and partnership in a real estate auction business...I accepted at first, then backed away...but, before doing so, spent a good deal of time discussing the business and learning a bit about auctions in general...

 

I have attended a few auctions in my life...mostly out of interest...I once actually even "busted" an extremely crooked auctioneer, turning over some findings to the local DA...

 

First thing you need to know about auctions is that you NEVER get a bargain at an auction...The entire concept of the auction is to drive prices HIGHER...Think laws of supply and demand...In a normal sales environment, you have multiple sellers vying for your business as a "free agent" buyer...You take what you want to purchase and shop for the best price...The merchant has to be competitive...

 

BUT, with an auction, the deal is that the Seller has multiple buyers competing for the same product...So, even in a completely on the level auction, you, the buyer, are at a disadvantage...

 

What the auctioneer really wants is a LARGE crowd where the laws of probability are that he can get multiple bidders for each item...The psychology of the auction is that if you were willing to pay $300 for something, the fact that someone else bids $310 doesn't make you walk away--You will go to $320...after all, it's only another $20 more...and, after all, if that other guy was trying to grab it for $310, it MUST be worth at least that...and so on...

 

Of course, if there isn't another guy willing to pay $310, no need for the auctioneer to worry...the action is moving so fast and the crowd is so large that...whoa...wait a second...$330 to the gentleman in the back of the room...Which gentlemen? How should I know...he's behind me and I didn't turn around fast enough to see him...But...I'd better up my bid to $340...Whew! Almost lost it for want of just another $20...

 

The auctioneer knows EXACTLY what he wants for the piece at a minimum...and he's got several devices, some legal, some not, to make sure he gets it: Minimum bids, reserve...and phantom bidders...

 

He could also use the phantom bidder to get you to, basically, bid against yourself until he gets you to go as far as you will go...Then, when you've finally had enough...Wow...that other guy, wherever he is, just bid $510...and I just cannot go over $500...I guess I lost...Well...not exactly...After the auction, the auctioneer seeks you out and tells you the "other guy" somehow flaked out...and, if you still want the piece, he will let you have it for that $500 you had offered before being outbid (doesn't really matter that you were the only real bidder even willing to buy it back at $250)...

 

The "appraisals" by the way, are all worthless...What is an appraisal, after all, than an opinion? In the real estate world, appraisals must be based on actual data...recent comparable sales, replacement construction costs, factors of income...But, in the real estate world, there are dependable complete records of all transactions kept in the County offices...Even so, two appraisers can come up with very different numbers on the same property. I've been involved in a good number of Eminent Domain (condemnation) cases...You'd be surprised (or maybe not) just how far apart are the appraisals done by my MAI Appraiser and the one engaged by the condemning agency...

 

Well, how accurate do you think an ART appraisal is? One done on a print or lithograph...#437/1000?

Do you think that appraiser has figures on the actual selling price of the other 999? If so, where is he getting them? Who hired this appraiser and what are his credentials? Think about it? YOU are not getting it appraised...You don't have the opportunity...Park West is "hiring" the appraiser--if at all--and they have every incentive to claim the value to be WAY above what it is...

 

And, for gosh sakes, do NOT try to compare prices with your local gallery...They are not trying to give you a good price either...These are mass produced artworks--check the internet...I GUARANTY you that you will find it considerably cheaper...If you don't, it's that you aren't really looking all that hard...

 

As to the idea that the drinks onboard are overpriced...Come on, it is NOT the same thing...First of all, as with others who have noted this, I live in Los Angeles...The drink prices are NOT out of line with bars or restaurants here...Maybe they are higher than in whatever one-horse town you live in, but, guess what, you aren't in that one-horse town...You are on a cruise ship in a resort area (Oh yeah, BTW, prices here in SoCal ARE higher...but, we don't care, we also EARN a lot more money than you do...It's all relative...My house costs more, my restaurants cost more, lots of stuff costs more...but IF I lived in Arkansas or Tennessee or North Dakota or wherever, IF I had a job at all, I almost guaranty my annual salary would be a fraction of what I'm paid here in LA)...

 

But, here is the big difference between drinks and art auctions...Ever go to a ball game? An amusement park? A movie theater? Ever buy a drink or a food item there? The prices are HIGH...Why? You don't have a choice...no competition...they have you...You cannot buy your beer elsewhere and bring it into the stadium...or onto the cruise ship (Well, yes, I know, some of you smuggle the stuff)...You cannot go onto the internet, find the lowest price on that Margarita and have it delivered to the ship...and you ARE consuming that drink on the ship...

 

But ARTWORK is different...You are not purchasing it to consume on the ship...You are buying it for "use" (or display) back home...You CAN buy it elsewhere...or over the internet...

 

So, why on earth would you race, compete and crawl over other people (or phantom people) to buy a piece knowing that, even in a completely honest auction, you are buying it at a premium? In a sale that is rigged against you? Now, if you know they are lying to you? Cheating? Using deceptive and fraudulent practices?

 

Here's an idea: If you see a piece you especially want on the cruise ship (displayed BEFORE the auction--don't wait for the auction), then head on over to the internet cafe on that ship and Google search the piece...Do a thorough job...Know EXACTLY what you could buy it for at your leisure when you get home...Print out the web page...Then go talk to the auctioneer BEFORE the auction...and make him an offer based on a REALISTIC and REASONABLE price: "Hello, Mr. Park West...I see you have 'Four Dogs Playing Poker' by R. Tist...I know that I can buy it from three different sources for $40...$60 framed...Would you like to sell one to me for THAT price? Or should I wait until I get home or just go order it over the internet?" If he won't sell it to you, auction notwithstanding, I'd be surprised...But, if not, tell him thank you and walk away...

 

But, if you wait for his auction, he'll start it with an opening bid of $100 and tell you it's appraised at $250......Of course, your tablemate from dinner will bid against the phantom bidder until he's up to $200...and he'll THINK he got a deal...a $250 value at a $50 savings...

 

Then you go back and buy it off the net for $40...I guaranty you will be happy...unless you realize it wasn't really worth the $40 either...

 

This is one of the most boorish and insulting posts I have read in a bit. The fact that you are naive enough to live in an over-priced, over-crowded, over-ego'd area of the country only speaks to your own gullibility.

 

I have news for you, there are plenty of people who live in Tennessee or Arkansas or North Dakota who - GASP! - not only have jobs but I dare say make as much or more than you do.

 

And who knows they might even have two horses in those little towns you speak so insultingly of....... :rolleyes::mad:

[shaggyofwv]

 

As to the idea that the drinks onboard are overpriced...Come on, it is NOT the same thing...First of all, as with others who have noted this, I live in Los Angeles...The drink prices are NOT out of line with bars or restaurants here...Maybe they are higher than in whatever one-horse town you live in, but, guess what, you aren't in that one-horse town...You are on a cruise ship in a resort area (Oh yeah, BTW, prices here in SoCal ARE higher...but, we don't care, we also EARN a lot more money than you do...It's all relative...My house costs more, my restaurants cost more, lots of stuff costs more...but IF I lived in Arkansas or Tennessee or North Dakota or wherever, IF I had a job at all, I almost guaranty my annual salary would be a fraction of what I'm paid here in LA)...

 

 

I thought most of your post was an interesting read, but this paragraph just seems crass.

 

Congratulations, you live in "SoCal", are we supposed to be impressed?

[temple1]

I have been cautioning people on these auctions for years...

Unfortunately, there are a lot of cruisers snowed by this...who actually defend it...and claim THEY got a great deal...talk about naive...

 

First thing I guess I'll tell you about me is that MAYBE I know a little more about the business than most...I am a real estate lawyer, but at one time in my early career, I was actually offered a job and partnership in a real estate auction business...I accepted at first, then backed away...but, before doing so, spent a good deal of time discussing the business and learning a bit about auctions in general...

 

I have attended a few auctions in my life...mostly out of interest...I once actually even "busted" an extremely crooked auctioneer, turning over some findings to the local DA...

 

First thing you need to know about auctions is that you NEVER get a bargain at an auction...The entire concept of the auction is to drive prices HIGHER...Think laws of supply and demand...In a normal sales environment, you have multiple sellers vying for your business as a "free agent" buyer...You take what you want to purchase and shop for the best price...The merchant has to be competitive...

 

BUT, with an auction, the deal is that the Seller has multiple buyers competing for the same product...So, even in a completely on the level auction, you, the buyer, are at a disadvantage...

 

What the auctioneer really wants is a LARGE crowd where the laws of probability are that he can get multiple bidders for each item...The psychology of the auction is that if you were willing to pay $300 for something, the fact that someone else bids $310 doesn't make you walk away--You will go to $320...after all, it's only another $20 more...and, after all, if that other guy was trying to grab it for $310, it MUST be worth at least that...and so on...

 

Of course, if there isn't another guy willing to pay $310, no need for the auctioneer to worry...the action is moving so fast and the crowd is so large that...whoa...wait a second...$330 to the gentleman in the back of the room...Which gentlemen? How should I know...he's behind me and I didn't turn around fast enough to see him...But...I'd better up my bid to $340...Whew! Almost lost it for want of just another $20...

 

The auctioneer knows EXACTLY what he wants for the piece at a minimum...and he's got several devices, some legal, some not, to make sure he gets it: Minimum bids, reserve...and phantom bidders...

 

He could also use the phantom bidder to get you to, basically, bid against yourself until he gets you to go as far as you will go...Then, when you've finally had enough...Wow...that other guy, wherever he is, just bid $510...and I just cannot go over $500...I guess I lost...Well...not exactly...After the auction, the auctioneer seeks you out and tells you the "other guy" somehow flaked out...and, if you still want the piece, he will let you have it for that $500 you had offered before being outbid (doesn't really matter that you were the only real bidder even willing to buy it back at $250)...

 

The "appraisals" by the way, are all worthless...What is an appraisal, after all, than an opinion? In the real estate world, appraisals must be based on actual data...recent comparable sales, replacement construction costs, factors of income...But, in the real estate world, there are dependable complete records of all transactions kept in the County offices...Even so, two appraisers can come up with very different numbers on the same property. I've been involved in a good number of Eminent Domain (condemnation) cases...You'd be surprised (or maybe not) just how far apart are the appraisals done by my MAI Appraiser and the one engaged by the condemning agency...

 

Well, how accurate do you think an ART appraisal is? One done on a print or lithograph...#437/1000?

Do you think that appraiser has figures on the actual selling price of the other 999? If so, where is he getting them? Who hired this appraiser and what are his credentials? Think about it? YOU are not getting it appraised...You don't have the opportunity...Park West is "hiring" the appraiser--if at all--and they have every incentive to claim the value to be WAY above what it is...

 

And, for gosh sakes, do NOT try to compare prices with your local gallery...They are not trying to give you a good price either...These are mass produced artworks--check the internet...I GUARANTY you that you will find it considerably cheaper...If you don't, it's that you aren't really looking all that hard...

 

As to the idea that the drinks onboard are overpriced...Come on, it is NOT the same thing...First of all, as with others who have noted this, I live in Los Angeles...The drink prices are NOT out of line with bars or restaurants here...Maybe they are higher than in whatever one-horse town you live in, but, guess what, you aren't in that one-horse town...You are on a cruise ship in a resort area (Oh yeah, BTW, prices here in SoCal ARE higher...but, we don't care, we also EARN a lot more money than you do...It's all relative...My house costs more, my restaurants cost more, lots of stuff costs more...but IF I lived in Arkansas or Tennessee or North Dakota or wherever, IF I had a job at all, I almost guaranty my annual salary would be a fraction of what I'm paid here in LA)...

 

But, here is the big difference between drinks and art auctions...Ever go to a ball game? An amusement park? A movie theater? Ever buy a drink or a food item there? The prices are HIGH...Why? You don't have a choice...no competition...they have you...You cannot buy your beer elsewhere and bring it into the stadium...or onto the cruise ship (Well, yes, I know, some of you smuggle the stuff)...You cannot go onto the internet, find the lowest price on that Margarita and have it delivered to the ship...and you ARE consuming that drink on the ship...

 

But ARTWORK is different...You are not purchasing it to consume on the ship...You are buying it for "use" (or display) back home...You CAN buy it elsewhere...or over the internet...

 

So, why on earth would you race, compete and crawl over other people (or phantom people) to buy a piece knowing that, even in a completely honest auction, you are buying it at a premium? In a sale that is rigged against you? Now, if you know they are lying to you? Cheating? Using deceptive and fraudulent practices?

 

Here's an idea: If you see a piece you especially want on the cruise ship (displayed BEFORE the auction--don't wait for the auction), then head on over to the internet cafe on that ship and Google search the piece...Do a thorough job...Know EXACTLY what you could buy it for at your leisure when you get home...Print out the web page...Then go talk to the auctioneer BEFORE the auction...and make him an offer based on a REALISTIC and REASONABLE price: "Hello, Mr. Park West...I see you have 'Four Dogs Playing Poker' by R. Tist...I know that I can buy it from three different sources for $40...$60 framed...Would you like to sell one to me for THAT price? Or should I wait until I get home or just go order it over the internet?" If he won't sell it to you, auction notwithstanding, I'd be surprised...But, if not, tell him thank you and walk away...

 

But, if you wait for his auction, he'll start it with an opening bid of $100 and tell you it's appraised at $250......Of course, your tablemate from dinner will bid against the phantom bidder until he's up to $200...and he'll THINK he got a deal...a $250 value at a $50 savings...

 

Then you go back and buy it off the net for $40...I guaranty you will be happy...unless you realize it wasn't really worth the $40 either...

 

Couple of questions:

 

1. Are you always a pompas a**?

2. Do you read your posts out loud as you are typing so you can hear yourself talk?

 

About the housing prices in SoCal - Bet your house price went down a higher percentage than mine. :D Oh, I live in a resort area and our restaurant and drink prices are generally higher than most areas of California we've visited, including SF, LA and SD. :rolleyes:

[tiamar]

We just got off the Explorer on 11/29 and the art auctioneer for this ship is John Block who trains for Park West. We don't go to buy art, but go for the art lectures and we enjoyed John who has a Master's in Art. You may not buy the art, you might think it is a scam, but should you get to spend a little time with someone who enjoys talking about art, to me the time spent is worth it completely. As for me, I pass on the "champagne" and bring my own beverage of choice, usually tea. I certainly can't understand the people who chose to spend several thousand dollars on art while there, but then again I can't understand people who spend a lot of money on jewelry in the shops on the ship or in the spa. I figure to each his own and if I should see something I like, be it in the art auction, in the jewelry shops, etc. I will buy it because I like it and it will be for me and not as an investment or for resale. If I had thousands of dollars to spend on art, I would most likely be running to book another cruise instead. But hey, that's me. :D

[sjcruiser]

I sat at the back of the room in one of the auctions on the Explorer Thanksgiving cruise listening to the auctioner go on and on about how their pieces are triple authenticated, and how the Class Auction Lawsuit against them never really materialized. He stated it was brought on by a disgruntled lawyer and his followers. I did pick up the brochure on Park West and the work of Dali, which I found very interesting. Dali, not Park West. After the auction one of the frequent auction attendees, handed me an envelope which contained the artwork/picture they were given for registering/attending.

[thecdndude]

The art auctions are fun, but as I'm not an expert I usually pick a nice peice that is a take off item that can be carried home and is cheap, so far I've purchased 6 paintings on board all framed and the most expensive one so far cost me 175 bucks for a krasnyanski that I loved. I never thought of these as investments rather inexpensive decorations for the home and i love them all as im staring at them right now. the auctions themselves are kinda fun tho and the champagne and relaxed atmosphere is kind of cool, just wish theyd stop showing peter max lol......ick

[travelwide]

You have the right idea about purchasing art work. You do it because you like it and want to look at it.

 

The problem that I see with Park West is that they are not selling based on your philosophy. They are selling based on the investment value of the item and the "appraised value" of the picture. This is where the controversy lies. What is the real value of the painting?? Perhaps they need to just sell to a person based on if you like it, buy it. If it will look good in your home, go for it.

 

Stop with the appraisal / great value of the piece. Enough with the $$$. Then they would be on the right track!

[cjbx]

Fine Arts Registry won its counterclaim against Park West and was awarded somewhere in the neighborhood of $450,000.

 

Holland American and Royal Caribbean have ended their relationship to Park West. The cruise lines had been getting themselves dismissed from these cases since the auctions took place at sea. At least one federal judge reinstated Carnival (I believe) as a party. This has opened the possibility that the cruise lines will be forced to pay a share for Park West's alleged frauds.

 

Also a spate of fraud and RICO suits including the cruise lines as parties have been brought in various parts of the country. Lawyers were trying to get them certified as a class action. Once the cruise lines get hit with judgments, art auctions will likely disappear from cruising.

 

http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2010/06/cruise-ship-passengers-say-they-were-swindled-in-onboard-art-auctions/96251/1

[AFS1970]

...Once the cruise lines get hit with judgments, art auctions will likely disappear from cruising.

 

or at least the disreputable ones.