Art Auction Questions

[aisling323]

We have been looking for a painting for our living room and thought we may want to wait and see what is available at the art auction on board the Monarch (I'm assuming they still hold auctions on the short cruises). We aren't planning to spends thousands on our painting. Do they have a wide range of styles and prices? Also, is it just paintings, or are there sculptures and other art as well?

[gerif]

There are a wide variety of prices available. Have never seen sculptures, but there are lithographs, seriographs and animation cells available. When we first built our house, we bought a ton of stuff at the auctions and have gotten many, many compliments. Of course, framing cost way more than the pieces themselves, but that was our choice - if you are handy, you could do it yourselves. Some pieces did come framed. We really didn't concern ourselves with "resale value" but, rather, bought pieces that we liked.

[dawcruiser]

We too bought a few peices. I know I could of bought just a good and maybe cheaper at home. But I like them and I can say we bought them while on the Enchantment of the Seas in 1999.

 

Not that we want to impress anyone but just adds to the unquiness of the art.

 

Don

[kbt2]

We've bought many framed pieces onboard and have always gotten many compliments on our artwork, just because it's not "main stream" art. It makes it nicer when we get compliments that we remember ...oh yea we bought that on our Alaska cruise, etc... Buy a piece and enjoy it over the years!

[Bebet]

We bought 3 Benfields and 2 other large items on our cruise two years ago. Could we have bought them cheaper, maybe. Did we pay alot to frame them?

Yes since we moved into our new house last may I've had them all framed and put up, they look great. The fact that we bought them on our first cruise together makes them more special to me.

Don't buy them for resale to "make a bundle" buy them because you really like them and know you will enjoy them.

[aisling323]

I think we will wait and see if we can find something we like on the ship. Like you've all said, we'd be buying it more for the sentimental value than the resale value, it will be more special to us than one we find here in town.

 

Thanks for all your help!

[suzeyQ]

I think you can get some pretty good prices. I bought an animation cell a few years ago and later saw a similar one from the same series in a store here for about 3 times the cost. They do have pieces in many different price ranges. My advice - buy what you like and pay what it's worth to you. If you do that, you'll always be happy with your purchase.

[jeannejj]

I really enjoy the art auctions, for several reasons. It's a great place to people watch, learn a little about art and some artists, and get a really nice souvenier. The art is priced from $50 to thousands of dollars. Just get something you like, and not something for investment. The pictures I have gotten all bring back fond memories of the cruise that I got it on, and of the fun of the auction.

 

I have gotten some framed and some I have had framed myself.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

:D

[dawcruiser]

I think Princess has a buy back option. Don't know for sure. But I do know Princess runs it's own art auctions. Most other lines use Park West Gallaries from Detroit I think. Shipping is what really cost us. If I remember we paid almost as much for the shipping as we did the art. I also think the written appraisal is a rip-off. I am an auctioneer and it was to rich for my blood.

 

Again I only bought the art because I was on the ship and could remember the cruise.

 

Don