4/8/19 Only a fool falls for a blatant and jaded opinion !

4/8/19

Solitude for the moment !

4/9/19

Today’s sale of the “Bauer Coll.” at the “Dorotheum” in Vienna , Austria just finished up and unfortunately for MR Matschek and the Bauer estate it did not turnout very well for them at all . Looking over the Dorotheum posted results , out of the 138 total lots passed over the podium only 44 ended up attracting any bidder interest . A sold percentage pf right at 32% .

As i stated in the previous post sale review this was a step in a different direction for the “Dorotheum” rug dept. who generally focus on for the most part late commercial good condition European style items .So even with the international collectors internet bidding action the collection just did not spark much in the way of real excitement .

For starters , one possible reason for the poor sale showing was on many of the pieces the pre- sale starting numbers were in the aggressive arena and considering the bulk of the coll. was a little on the late side for the fickle Turkmen collectors market these days this might must have put potential bidders off a bit .

Perhaps if the Bauer people would have been more realistic with their reserves things would have turned out better for them but with the majority of the collection being on the “Fresh” side , maybe not !

One other thing to consider.

It appears Mr Bauer never considered selling a piece now and then and upgrading to more advanced items which is a problem i have seen before with many other collectors ( i. e. Munkacsi ) who ignore prudent advice so the collection was full of items that were popular in years past but are considered unimportant these days and also because they are out of fashion and to “fresh” by todays finicky collector standards !

Oh well , live and learn !

Granted a few of the better pieces did sell ( even 2 aggressively estimated main carpets ) but there were “no” serious upside surprises.

In the end it was a tough day and a lot of work for Mr Matschek and the “Dorotheum” rug dept. with only very limited returns to show for it .

Better luck next time , if there is one !

As for the 3 lots i featured in the sale review , all sold .

Lot # 78 , Igdyr tentband frag. Pre-sale est. € 6-700.00 . Sold for € 563.00 . Someone got a bargain on this one !

Lot # 90 , Tekke Torba . Pre-sale est. € 3,6-4,000.00 . Sold for € 4,250.00 . Nice and in the realistic zone .

Lot # 133 , Tekke chuval ? . Pre-sale est. € 1,6- 2,000.00 . Sold for € 2,250.00 . Again a very good purchase for the new owner on my favorite piece in the sale !

4/10/19

Now for something far more promising !

Grogan & Co. , Boston, Ma is staging a general antique sale scheduled on May 5th that features 95 oerintal rugs and carpets from most all the major weaving areas .

So here we go .

My first thoughts about this sale inventory is it’s a fairly diverse selection for a modest size group with plenty of interesting items to consider and as is M.G.’s M.O. the pre-sale estimates are for the most part on the low / very realistic side . On the flip side there are no real clear cut , top shelf collectors items included to make the internet trolls go crazy , just a varied group of eclectic pieces .

That said for a relatively small assortment it’s far more compelling than many of the recent sales with far more lots . Just an opinion so be sure to check it out yourself and form your own opinion .

One other thing worth mentioning . There are 9 room size carpets and a couple of those look very good , in particular lot #’s 287 , especially 289 and maybe 294 .

A few of the lots i kept going back to are featured below .

Lot # 289 , Serapi carpet . Pre-sale estimate a very fair $ 20-30,000. Yes , a room size carpet but a particularly good looking one and if the condition as good as M.G. states a real winner if your in the market for a decorative item.

Lot # 297 , Possibly Senna prayer rug . Pre-sale estimate $ 10-15,000.00 . Closest thing to a top shelf barn burner item in the group. To me it’s very beautiful and my favorite piece in the sale , if it matters !

Lot # 314 , Konya village rug . Pre-sale estimate $ 4-6,000.00 . This should do very well !

Parting shot , although this is selection is limited in size i noticed 11 items worthy of a second or third look !

4/11/19

Next up in the batters box !

Skinner’s , Boston , Ma’s spring rug and carpet extravaganza scheduled on Apr. 28 is live “on the line” now to confuse your buying strategy even more.

On this occasion Mr Kearney & staff have assembled a collection of approximately 382 lots of all manner of rugs , carpets and textiles to tempt your mind ( if you have one ! ) and of course wallet !

First up i have to say this group also does not include a clear cut , tip top item to fire up the “Rug Mob” internet circle . What it does have going for it is a substancial selection of interesting pieces with very realistic pre-sale estimates which leads to the possibility of getting a decent buy on a pretty good piece .

After multiple passes through the auction inventory i will stand with my first impression that there is no single lot to make the collector circle stand up and bark but there are plenty of absorbing for you to consider.

I did however notice 3 lots lots i went back to more than once and they are featured below .

Lot # 22 , Caucasian prayer kelim . Pre- sale estimate $ 1,2-1,500.00 . Not particularly early but a very scarce item.

Lot # 113 , Holbein cpt. frag. Pre- sale estimate $ 4-5,000.00 . Maybe not as early as stated but still very good .

Lot # 266 , Kurdish salt bag , possibly Varamin ? Pre- sale estimate $1-1,200.00. Very snappy looking !

However after all that said and considering the number of pieces run across the podiums of all the auction houses so far this spring auction season other than a few early Chinese pieces nothing of any real serious collector consequence has been turning up in any of the auctions so far !

Which backs up the fact that locating fresh important , noteworthy pieces is becoming an increasing difficult task. This is of course just my opinion !

4/12/19

Great Friday !

4/13/19

4/14/19

Silent Palm Sunday !

Dog o the week .

Oh , No , not Pelosi again !

Pelosi net worth = 120,000,000.00

After all the commotion and people telling me i should do it i have given in and decided to run for President of the “U S of A” in 2020 under the banner of Fresh , Clear , Wild Party so when your making up your mind keep it in MIND ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019.

Shitty movie o the week , Danger One , 2018. 4.5 poopsickles out of 5 . I don’t know what to say about this i should have just turned it off !

Movie o the week , The Grifter’s ,1991.

Song o the week , Trust Fund Baby , Sammy Hagar and the Circle on Space Between , 2019.

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4/1/19 Being superficial is a high “ART” form !

4/1/19

We are gonna start the fresh week with the “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results of the March 23rd , 2nd installment of the Rippon- Boswell , “Poppmeier” collection sale .

To start with if the “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results are accurate out of the 91 total lots offered only 16 failed to attract bidder interest which works out to a sold percentage of right at 82%. Very respectable considering how diverse and eclectic this group was. I am fairly sure some of the unsold lots will find new homes in the after sale as is the Rippon , M.O.

One thing worth noting on the outcome .

There was a substantial number of significant upside pops to lend excitement to the offering . Check out lot numbers 14, 28, 31, 32, 35, 44, 50, 64, 66, 71, and ( 84 ? ) which to a certain extent made up for the unsold lots.

As for the items i featured in an earlier post all sold . Two did very well , one not so much .

Lot # 32 , Aksaray kilim . Pre- sale estimate € 5-7,000.00 . Sold for € 44,280.00 including comm. One of the high water points of the sale and a real winner for the new owner !

Lot # 44 , Konya rug . Pre- sale estimate € 6- 8,000.00 . Sold for € 22,140.00 including comm. To my eye a very reasonable purchase for the new owner !

Lot # 56 , Karapinar kilim . Pre- sale estimate € 8-10,000.00 . Sold for € 7,995.00 including comm. looks like someone may have got a deal on this one !

In the end considering how eccentric this collection was its a pretty good job , well done by Mr Maltzahn and the Rippon – Boswell staff .

Kudo’s to them !

4/9/19 , 12 noon .

Late update !

With all the after sale action only 4 lots ended going unsold which raises the sold percentage to right at 95 %. So it appears Mr Maltzahn pitched a real winner for the “Poppmeier” estate !

Good for them and great for the rug and kilim collectors market in general !

4/2/19

4/3/19

Next up , here comes Sotheby’s , London with an Islamic Art sale titled “Arts of the Islamic World “ including oriental rugs and carpets on May 1st at their Bond st. gallery .

The sale inventory consist of approximately 16 assorted textile lots and 36 rugs and carpets . Unfortunately this just not a very interesting group as far as the rugs and carpets go. No bona fide stars included , what so ever . Nothing much in the way of Turkmen, which is very hot right now , early Chinese which is also very hot right now , Baluch which is on the come back trail or South Persian of any consequence .

To my eye just fairly decent but uninspiring selection . I expected better but you settle for what you get ?

After all that a couple of lots did peak my limited interest !

Lot # 157 Safavid silk panel , circa 1800 or earlier . Pre-sale estimate , £ 20-30,000.00 . My favorite lot in the sale selection .

Lot # 285 , Kuba prayer rug . Pre- sale estimate , £ 5-7,000.00 . Kinda “cool” item in a less than inspiring selection, in my opinion !

4/4/19

March 4th , “National Burrito Day” , celebrate !

4/5/19

Christie’s , London is up to bat next with an Islamic art sale titled “ Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds “ featuring oriental rugs and textiles scheduled on May 2nd at their London gallery .

Initial thoughts !

What Ms Broadhurst and crew have assembled this time out is a group consisting of 7 early velvets , which have been very popular lately , 5 textiles and susani’s and 78 various oriental rugs and carpets .

My first impression of this selection is it’s heavily over weighted with room size decorative carpets which it a bit of a disappointment for myself and i am sure for the members of the collectors market out there . Yes , there are some moderately interesting “collectable” style items in the group but the decorative pieces far out number them .

Like the Sotheby’s auction the day before this group is also void of any Turkmen , early Chinese , Baluch or other collectible tribal type pieces !

Also in my humble opinion in the limited number of items aimed at the serious international collectors market other than the Turkish items there is nothing that could be considered an exciting , important or scarce item to get them buzzing .

One caveat , there are 2 earlier Mughal pieces that could maybe create a bit of a stir !

Don’t get me wrong on this opinion , it’s not a slam .

There are plenty of good and moderately interesting lots in this very limited assortment and i am reasonably sure the sale should do well , but without a clear cut barn burner to create excitement who knows ?

That said i did keep going back to one lot .

Lot # 225 , Mughal Pashmina Carpet Frag. Circa 1640 . Pre-sale estimate £ 15-20,000.00 . To me by far the very best and most interesting thing in the entire sale .

4/6/19

4/7/19

Celebrate , “National Beer Day” , Boo Yah !

Next up the Dorotheum , Turkmen sale on April 9th !

A colorful Sunday ?

Dogs o the week !

If you didn’t know before , you surely don’t know now , take a step back survey the situation and please get an F-N clue ! ,

Sheik Frederich , 2019.

Shitty movie o the week , The Spy Who Dumped Me , 2018 . 5 poopsickles out of 5 . Another movie made just for a pay day !

Movie o the week , The Inventor , Out for Blood in Silicon Valley , 2019. A grim story everyone should see !

Song o the week , Train, Train , Blackfoot on Strikes , 1979.

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3/25/19 , Rage on “ Loser “ rage on !

3/25/19

Calm sea’s for the moment !

3/26/19

“The Dorotheum” , Vienna, Austria is back in the game with a special sale scheduled on April 9th titled “ The Turkmen” , Schleswig-Holstein , Ingo Bauer coll.

For starters this is a bit of a step forward for the “Dorotheum” considering the type of items they usually have featured in their last few sales .

The collection consist of 138 lots of for the most part second half of the 19th century ordinary Turkmen items in “European market” condition. There are also a small number of Baluch and other tribal pieces none of which are of any great consequence .

After multiple passes through the collection inventory my feeling is this . Although this is a substantial group of items there is not even one clear cut barnburner to get the serious Turkmen collectors of the world excited. Yes , there are plenty of “nice” good condition intermediate pieces and a hand full of slightly earlier pieces , but nothing truly early and important which leads me to wonder is this whole collection or did they hold back this best pieces ?

One other thing .

For the most part the pre- sale estimates and starting points are realistic except for a few of the main carpets ( lot #’s 86 , 98 and 116 ) which seem very optimistic in a market where main carpets have been soft for quite awhile . Just an observation on my part !

That said i did notice a couple of lots i thought were mildly interesting and they are posted below.

Lot # 78 , Igdyr ? tentband fragment . pre- sale estimate € 6-700. Starting bid € 450.00 . Very reasonable !

Lot # 90 , Tekke torba . Pre- sale estimate , € 3,6- 4,000.00 . Starting bid € 3,000.00 . Ordinary but a better than average example .

Lot # 133 , cataloged as Tekke Chuval ? . Pre-sale estimate € 1,6- 2,000.00 . Starting bid € 1,400.00 . Not sure about the attribution on this one but with the unusual color scheme it could be very good , or not ! My favorite piece in the group !

All said and done it still took plenty of time and “shekel’s” to put this collection together so “good luck” to the owner / collector and the “Dorotheum” rug dept. !

Next up the agony of the A.A.C. Sale on March 30th !

3/27/19

3/28/19

3/29/19

Three cheers for political correctness !

3/30/19

The A.A.C. , Fine Antique Oriental Rugs , XIV” sale is under way now and up to this point ( lot # 150 ) Udo and gang are pitching a perfect game with no unsold lots , so far. Granted many of the prices fetched on the items are very reasonable if not give away but as i always say , sold is till sold and if this the direction A.A.C. is going it looks like the strategy is working .

Fini !

So we end the agony with only one passed lot according to the “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results which keeps Udo’s string of successful but uninteresting March, 2019 auctions alive and definitely kick- in , at 2 !

Worth noting , no real up side pops but with this commercial selection this was to be expected !

One more thing , i question lot # 1 ? Just a thought !

All in , this was a very positive endevor by Mr Langauer and staff and they are to be commended for moving a large amount of merchandise in a spotty rug market .

Hat’s off to you !!!

No how about a sale with a handful of more upscale important items to draw in the international collectors ?

3/31/19

And then there was Margarita !

Dog o the week , Things get weird-er ?

The cool wind of reality is blowing “RIGHT” in your face , you best get on board or get “LEFT” behind ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019.

Shitty movie o the week , No shit this week , hallelujah !

Movie o the week , Red Sparrow , 2018.

Song o the week , Freedom , Richie Havens , live version on the “Woodstock” movie soundtrack , 1969 , remastered 2009 .

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3/17/19 Step “N” , Fetch -it in the danger zone ?

3/17/19

More unfortunate music world news to start a fresh week!

Via con Dios , Dick Dale the legendary “King of the Surf” guitar . His influence on guitar players will keep his life relevant for the ages !

Yo , W.S. !

3/18/19

3/19/19

3/20/19

3/21/19

Today’s “ Irving Collection day sale at Christie’s, NYC just wrapped up and from a total sales figure this session did very well for the Irving estate . Total assets achieved a healthy $ 13,374,625.00 including comm. and many lots went well over their pre- sale estimates .

As for the 18 rugs and carpets in the sale inventory all sold and some did very well , particularly lot # 1306 , Ningxia carpet with the bat design .

Pre- sale estimate $ 8-10,000.00 , sold for a well deserved $ 75,000.00 including comm.

The 2 lots i featured in the previous post both sold , one just O K , the had a pretty nice pop.

Lot # 1308 , Ningxia carpet . Pre- sale estimate $ 2-3,000.00 . Sold in the zone for $ 2,500.00 including comm. I personally thought this piece would do much better but the condition might have had a hand in the modest price !

Lot # 1377 , 3 Saddle rugs . Pre- sale estimate $ $ 8-1,200.00 . Sold with an expected pop at , $ 13,750.00 . Still however may be a decent buy for the new owner ?

One other thing worth noting .

The evening portion of the “Irving Coll.” did not include any rugs or carpets but did do even better for the estate with a sold total of $ 17,894,750.00 including comm . And included only 25 lots !

3/22/17

Todays Asian Art sale , again at Christie’s , NYC is in the books and as with previous 2 sales i mentioned was an extremely successful undertaking for the “Christie’s Asian Art dept.“ with a sold total of $ 19,319,875.00 including comm. Trade war or no trade war the Asian art market is certainly still hot as a pistol !

The lot i featured in the previous post , lot # 1655 , “Qiu Xiangse” robe . Pre- sale estimate $ 3-500,000.00 , sold in the midst of the zone at a respectable $ 399.000.00 including comm.

3/23/19

Viva , Armando !

3/24/19

I end the week with some “Sunday Sparkle” !

Dog o the week !

Rad as “hell” and i am not gonna take it any more ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019.

Shitty movie o the week , The Meg , 2018. 3.5 poopsickles out pf 5 . It just kept getting worse . Another shark movie that just couldn’t hit the dramatic notes of the original “Jaws” classic . Maybe the cast just needed a nice payday ?

Movie o the week , Arbitrage , 2012.

Song o the week , Dick Dale & his Del- Tones , “Miserlou” on Surfers Choice , Oct. 31st. 1962 .

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3/11/19 Cautious restraint is your best option!

3/11/19

A start to the new week in a very puzzling manner !

Austria Auction Co’s major 2019 “ Fine Antique Oriental Rugs XIV” scheduled on March 30th at their Vienna , Austria gallery is live or dead “on the line “ now and i frankly don’t known what to make of it !

To begin with the sale consist of 195 lots of what can only be considered for the most part “fresh” items that are barely over 100 years old if that . Nothing at all in the way of serious collectors items in the complete sale inventory .

This to me is a real surprise considering they just held a low end house cleaning auction on March 9th which did very well for them and i expected more of an upscale collectors sale considering what is billed as a “Fine Rug Sale” , but this is just a half step above the March 9th sale group with nothing of any importance included in the entire sale stock .

On a positive note , as with the previous March sale the pre- sale estimates are very realistic and they once again kept the starting points very conservative as well , but its the only good thing about this sale , in my opinion !

Don’t get me wrong on this , there are plenty of late good condition late European retail type pieces included in the auction , but again nothing to get the international “Rugmob” buzzing .

Again i don’t know what to think of UDO staging 2 sales of this nature back to back but it’s his business and maybe he’s changed direction into a decorative / retail auction house to pump up sales and profits when good , fresh interesting collectors items are hard to come by these days ?

Anyway good luck to him and the A.A.C. staff on this unimportant endeavor!

3/12/19

3/13/19

Christie’s , NYC has a very good Asian Art’s auction scheduled on March 21st ( The Irving Coll. Day Sale ) that includes 18 various collectable and decorative oriental rugs and carpets some of which are worth a line or two and are posted below ..

Lot # 1308 , Early Chinese carpet , circa 1700 . Pre-sale estimate a very conservative $2-3,000.00 . Modest condition but it should still do well.

Lot # 1377 , 3 Chinese saddle covers . Pre-sale estimate a very fair $ 8-1,200.00 . Maybe ?

3/14/19

More Christie’s , NYC news !

Another Asian Art’s sale scheduled on March 22nd titled “Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art” does not include any rugs but it does feature 9 Chinese textiles one of which is quite extraordinary !

Lot # 1655 , 18th century Chinese “Qiu Xiangse” silk Dragon robe . Pre- sale estimate $ 3-500,000.00 . Not sure where this is gonna end up but it’s pretty cool !

3/15/19

3/16/19

Sad news to report today.

I just found out legendary and enigmatic Swedish rug connoisseur and dealer J.P.Willborg passed away on Jan. 21st of this year . I did not know him personally but from the people i know who did i was told if i ever make it to the continent again he was someone i should certainly meet. The rug community will miss him for sure !

3/17/19

Dog o the week ,

Leftie’s “swimmin” through a mammoth , magnificent sea of Red ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019.

Shitty movie o the week, Skyscraper , 2018 . 4 out of 5 poopsickles . Although a supposed “action flick” it was boring and unwatchable .

Movie o the week , We Were Soldiers , 2002.

Song o the week , Budgie , Crash Course in Brain Surgery , single , 1971.

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2/25/19 , For those on the Left who have lost their way !

2/25/19

Moderately interesting “Textile World News” to start the week !

Kerry Taylor Auctions , London , U.K. held their first “Antique and Vintage Fashion and Textile” auction of 2019 today and from “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results it appears it was a very successful outing for them from a total lots sold stand point . Out of the total 445 lots offered only a hand full appears to have been passed.

The reason i mention this particular sale is because out of the 445 items auctioned approximately 107 included in the sale inventory were a diverse group of all kinds of ethnic textiles and garments and two of which are certainly worth a few lines .

Lot # 377 , Ottoman embroidered quilt facing , circa 1600. Ex Rod Taylor coll. Pre-sale estimate £ 2-3,000.00 . Sold for £ 15,000.00 + comm. A nice pop up for the consigner !

Lot # 409 Caucasian embroidery . Late 18th century . Ex Rod Taylor coll. Pre- sale estimate , £ 1-1,500.00 . Sold for £ 10,000.00 + comm. Again nice for the consigner .

A few more of the other Islamic textiles. in the sale also did very well which you can check out “ on the line “ .

2/26/19

2/27/19

The audited results from today’s “Netherhampton Salesrooms” first rug and carpet sale of 2019 are live “ on the line” for you to ponder now.

So for the most part it was a standard Netherhampton turn of events. Out of the approximately 362 total lots offered 198 ended up attracting bidding action . A sold percentage of right at 54% . Pretty much in line with previous Netherhampton sales .

One minor thing worth noting this time around .

Only 5 lots popped over the £ 1,000.00 threshold , however one lot was a substantial upside surprise if the posted out come is accurate.

Lot # 314 , Yomut juval . Pre- sale estimate £ 1-150.00 . Sold for £ 4,200.00 . You can check it out on their site but the illustration is of poor quality and does not reveal much . If this is accurate its something that very rarely happens at Netherhampton , so good for them and a “tip of the hat” to Ms Barrett and staff !

2/28/19

3/1/19

3/2/19

Out of state visitors and modest commerce !

3/3/19

3/4/19

3/5/19

3/6/19

3/7/19

3/8/19

3/9/19

Well we are off to the races at todays Austria Auction Co’s first endevor of 2019 and it appears from “Liveauctioneer’s” posted results Udo and the A.A.C. staff have a winner on their hands .

According to “Liveactioneer’s” online results out of the 230 items offered only 2 lots were passed which is pretty close to a sellout if the figures hold up. Granted this was a no reserve sale and the starting points in most cases were very reasonable , it is still however an excellent outcome A.A.C. .

Nothing much in the way of fire works worth mentioning in the sale inventory , however a few kelims did pop a bit , lot #’s 42 , 50, and 56 but thats about as far as highlights go .

Still a large amount of merchandise moved and that calls for kudos to “Udo and staff” for a job well done !

Next up for A.A.C. their first major sale of 2019 scheduled on March 30th . A small preview is on line now .

3/10/19

Dog o the week !

No excuses for the evil some men do in this case !

How is it that Robert Mueller has not even filed his report yet and “Adam Schiff and the Dimi’s” are already rejecting it when they fought so hard to protect it and wanted it so bad ? , Sheik Frederich , 2019.

Shitty movie o the week , Machete , 2010. 5 out of 5 poopsickles . Worst movie Robert Rodriguez has ever made , by a long shot .

Movie o the week , Jeff Beck , Still on the Run , 2018 . The icon .

Song o the week , Backyard Babies , 44 Undead on Silver and Gold , 2019.

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2/18/19 , Celebrate your Red Wings ?

2/18/19

In the midst of a cold snap in Cali things are starting to heat up in the international auction market .

2/19/19

Rippon Boswell’s 2nd installment of the “Poppmeier Coll.” scheduled on March 23rd at their Wiesbaden gallery is live “on the line” at this very moment !

Where to start with this ?

Well , i was told early on this was most likely not a group i would find particularly interesting considering the type of items i usually gravitate towards and for the most part this rings true on this collection . The sale inventory consists of 91 total lots of kelims , textiles a few pile carpets and other various ethnic textiles .

For starters this is a very eclectic assortment geared toward serious collectors , not for beginners or journeymen enthusiast at all . Items geared toward the educated and selective textile and kelim crowd .

That said , to my humble eye is a very impressive group with a lot of somewhat important and attractive although eccentric items you might be draw to if this your “cup of tea” . My opinion is Mr Poppmeier had a pretty good eye for color and design even if the piece had condition issues and many of his items are certainly in a fragmented state .

One other thing i might add . In my opinion Pt.1 of the Poppmeier Coll.is to my eye more interesting than the current selections in pt.2 but that is still just my opinion .

All said i did find a few of lots that caught my eye for more than a passing glance and it will be interesting to see how they do.

Lot # 32 , Aksaray Kelim . Pre- sale estimate , € 5-7,000.00 . Brilliant color and design.

Lot # 44 , Konya rug . Pre- sale estimate , € 6-8,000.00 . Striking appearance . My favorite piece in the sale .

Lot # 56 , Karapinar kelim . Pre- sale estimate , € 8- 10,000.00 Bold and vibrant , nuff said !

2/20/19

The first rug and carpet sale of the year at the “Dorotheum” , Vienna , Austria just finished up and it turned out to be only a moderately successful venture for them . Out of the 236 total lots run over the podium approximately 126 found new homes . A sold percentage of right at 56% . Not to be considered a flop but far from a raging success either, mediocre at best . As i stated in the previous post there was nothing included in the sale inventory to get the rug world buzzing so the turnout was to be expected .

There was also not much in the way of upside surprises either . A few lots ,2 , 69 and 142 popped up a bit but nothing really notable. As for the 5 lots i thought were sporting aggressive pre- sale starting points one # 7 , the least expensive sold , the others did not .

So there you have it a modest start to 2019 rug auction season !

2/21/19

Who will be the next in line !

Austria Auction Co. Vienna , Austria has a “ No Reserve “ rug , carpet and textile auction scheduled on March 9th at their Vienna gallery . The sale consist of 230 lots from most all the major weaving areas .

After multiple passes through the sale inventory my unbiased opinion is this .

If you are a serious rug or textile collector this group of pieces is not for you!

Once again it appears to be a Spring house cleaning sale of for the most part mid to low end pieces for the beginner , someone on a budget , a dealer looking for shop stock or someone just looking for an inexpensive “ deal “.

One other thing worth mentioning on a positive note .

Lack of reserves aside the pre- sale starting points on most all the items included in the group are very reasonable , if not cheap so like Udo’s last venture of this type this sale should do very well for him from a total items sold point !

Good Luck , Guys !

2/22/19

2/23/19

2/24/19

The “Abells Auction Gallery” quarterly sale is underway now and we should know how lot # 300 Navaho 3rd Phase chiefs blanket featured in the previous blog post , pre- sale. estimate $ 6-8,000.00 faired, shortly.

So here we go , the piece sold for $ 16,000.00 + comm . I thought it would do somewhat better but it did need perhaps $ 3-4,000.00 worth of restoration .

Sunday Sunshine , for a change !

Dog o the week .

In this day and age forming preconceived notions about someone because of their outward appearance is patently un-American and does not follow what was written in the U.S. Constitution , Bill of Rights or even worse the 10 Commandments , Dimi’s ! . Sheik Frederich , 2019.

Shitty movie o the week , Bruno , 2009 . 5 poopsickles out of 5. With all the Left Wing political correctness in the air these days how come no one ever complained about this unwatchable piece of C**P ?

Movie o the week , The Commuter , 2018.

Song o the week , Overkill , Welcome to the Garden State on The Wings of War , 2019.

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1/28/19 Lite’em up and let’em go !

1/28/19

Happy Metal Monday !

1/29/18

Slim-pickens dominate the rug scene for the foreseeable future !

1/30/19

1/31/19

2/1/19

2/2/19

2/3/19

2/4/19

So here we go !

The Dorotheum , Vienna , Austria is out the gate and off to the races with their first rug , carpet and textile auction of the new year scheduled on Feb. 20th at their Vienna auction house .

This time around the sale inventory features 236 total lots of all manner of oriental weavings .

After multiple passes through the group i am feeling like this is a standard European style retail offering with a large assortment of late city rugs in what appears to be good condition and a modest selection of “ mid- range collectors items none of which seem overly exciting as to get the Rug- Mob buzzing . No top shelf items of any type in this sale .

As usual with previous Dorotheum sales the pre- sale estimates are all over the place with most being fairly realistic but as is there M.O. a few being somewhat aggressive . Lot numbers 7 , 8, 14, 38 and 70 to name a few , but this just my opinion .

That said one lot that i did find to be the most interesting in the sale , # 26 is posted below . Not a truly great example but still a standout in this offering with a reasonable starting point ? Pre-sale opening price € 8,000.00.

2/5/19

2/6/19

2/7/19

Via con dios ! , Albert Finney Jr. one of the all time great stage and screen Thespians . Your body of work will keep your memory alive throughout the sands of time !

2/8/19

2/9/19

Netherhampton Salesrooms , Salisbury , U.K. is back at it with their first sale of 2019 season scheduled on Feb. 27th . This time around Ms Barrett and staff have assembled approximately 362 lots of standard Netherhampton fair . A little of this a little of that but as usual not a standout example of any type in the whole sale inventory .

All in , if you are a low end dealer or bargain hunter this may well be the opportunity you are looking for .

2/10/19

2/11/19

More fresh rug world babble !

Abell’s Auction co. , Los Angeles , Ca has one of their quarterly general antique extravaganza’s scheduled on Feb. 24th that features 14 mid – range decorative rugs and 4 tapestries none of which are of any interest to collectors .

That said there is however one item in the Native American Indian category that could turn out to be very interesting .

Lot # 300 Navaho 3rd phase Chief’s blanket . Pre- sale estimate $ 6-8,000.00 . Great cross design and if the red materials are vintage this might just turn out to be a real winner in a slow market !

2/12/19

2/13/19

2/14/19

2/15/19

2/16/19

First day the public can get in the Marin American Indian Show and preliminary reports are there is a decent public crowd and pretty good sales which is far better than the Mesa, AZ. show a couple of weeks ago which reported little or no retail activity !

2/17/19

Sunday Fun , Cali style !

Dog o the week ,

Left bound and drown , and you will never know any better ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019.

Shitty movie o the week , La La Land . 5 poopsickles out of 5. An insult to the people of So Cal and unwatchable in my opinion.

Movie o the week , Big Fish , 2004, with the great Albert Finney .

Song o the week , Arch Enemy , Reason to Believe on Will to Power , 2017.

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1/1/19 Rage to Insanity rule the Day , DNC !

1/1/19

Deep in the depths of the winter doldrums even though it’s New Years Day !

1/2/19

Been awhile but back on board even in the slow period .

Little or nothing to mention , up to this point !

1/3/19

1/4/19

1/5/19

1/6/19

1/7/19

1/8/19

1/9/19

1/10/19

1/11/19

1/12/19

Sunday cheer !

1/13/19

1/14/19

1/15/19

1/16/19

1/17/19

1/18/19

1/19/19

1/20/19

By now i am sure you have all seen the online presentation of the Dr. T. McCormack Collection of Turkmen carpets on R.R.

The coll. consist of approximately 51 items from most all the Turkmen weaving areas except Salor / S Group .

So here we go .

After multiple passes through the coll. inventory i find it a little on the static side . Certainly an impressive group in size but in my opinion nothing included in the group to get the Turkmen world buzzing . Just a sizable amount of slightly better pieces most of which are not truely early but in pretty good condition .

So if your just a novice getting into collecting Turkmen items this is a good opportunity to see a large group of them and they are for-sale too , with for the most part posted prices . As you would assume on a sale like this the prices are all over the place , some fairly aggressive , some in line with the current market !

One more thing , a few have already sold and a couple of them do “Not” have posted prices ?

With that end , Good Luck to the Doctor in his liquidation endevor at the slowest time of the year for rug activity !

A couple of pieces that did catch my eye are posted below .

Number 19416 , $ 5,800.00 not inexpensive !

Number 19554 . No posted price on this piece ?

1/21/19

1/22/19

First day of LARTA , London , 2019.

Well although i am not there in person i did go through Larta online , yes all 280 posted lots numerous times and although there were plenty of good to better pieces i noticed nothing that could be considered a clear cut barn burning winner . From where i sit the strength of the show was with the Susani’s and ikats .

One thing worth noting . There were most likely more items that were not posted on LARTA online so something great could have been lurking in the shadows . Open till 1-27-19 .

Anyway good luck to the exhibitors !

1/23/19

1/24/19

1/25/19

1/26/19

Brunk Auctions , Asheville , N.C. staged a general antique auction today that featured approximately 21 various oriental rugs and carpets one of which was worth a brief mention .

Lot # 855 . Cataloged as a Caucasian carpet with a pre- sale estimate of $ 6-1,200.00 was actually a mid century Turkish village rug that ended up selling for a well deserved $5,400.00 including comm. Reasonable for the new owner too.

One last thing .

Today is the opening of the Mesa , Az. Western antiques and American Indian artifact show which is a good indicator of how collector shows are gonna go in the USA this year . No opening day report backs yet . Here’s hope-in !

Unfortunate news today !

Go With God , Michel Legrand . The maestro exceptional for years .Your body of work will keep your memory alive forever !

1/27/19

Celebrate Sunday !

Dog o the week , Boo , you are already missed !

In tough times , stand tall , keep your word at all costs and things will surely work out ! , Sheik Frederich , 2019

Shitty movie o the week , Superfly , 2081. 5 poopsickles out of 5 . A true insult to the original 1972 Superfly . Unwatchable !

Movie o the week , Molly’s Game , 2018 . An F-N great flick !

Song o the week , The Blasters , Marie , Marie on American Music , 1980 .

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12/10/18 , Only lame a**ed people still HATE !

12/10/18

Left over’s from the last post !

Netherhampton Salesrooms , Salisbury U.K. held their year end rug sale today and it turned out right in line with their previous auctions this year . Out of the 380 total lots run across the podium approximately 238 garnered any bidder attention . A sold percentage of right at 62% . Not great but not bad either . The problem i see with sale itself is that so many of the items that sold , sold for under £ 200.00 which makes me wonder if with all the work involved in the sale production its worth the time for Ms Barrett and staff ?

As far as sale highlights go there was little or nothing with only 2 lots breaching the £ 1,000.00 level .

All that said and done you still have to give Ms Barrett and staff credit for continuing to stay in the game !

12/11/18

12/12/18

12/13/18

12/14/18

12/15/18

Today’s A.A.C. is in the books and if the posted results are accurate Udo and his crew did far better than their usual sales do with pretty much everything finding a new home . Out of the 192 total lots offered for sale perhaps only 3 lots went unsold. That is how ever via the “liveauctioneer’s” unaudited post which may or may not be accurate . Granted the pre- sale estimates were fairly conservative and many of the lots sold right at there low estimates but as i always say sold is still sold and considering there were no top shelf items included in the auction inventory to create excitement and at this time of the year this is a very good turn of events for A.A.C.

One thing worth mentioning about the sale outcome itself . There were a number of decent upside pops , #’s 1 , 21, 22, 61, 70, 110, and 123 .

And the biggest surprise of all in my opinion # 68 , Tuduc Dragon copy . Pre- sale est. € 2-3,000.00. Sold for € 6,400.00 . I guess the market for Tuduc copies is strong in Austria ?

In the end a good job by UDO and crew so a “ Tip of the Holiday Hat “ to them !