dollars, collectors are apt to hire
experts as consultants. Indeed,
say the Kovels, if you are spending
a lot of money, working with a con-
sultant is a smart move. They have
heard, for instance, that comedian
Bill Cosby, a major collector of
American furniture, especially
Shaker, works with a consultant.
At lower price levels, the collec-
tors may find that they them-
selves have become the experts.
This is precisely what has happen-
ed in bottle collecting, which is
currently popular. Ralph says, "It
happens if what you are collecting
is not an extensive field" which
has already been researched and
documented by authors, museum
staffers and the like.
But whatever the price level,
Ralph warns, "It is always a buyer
beware market." For example, in
antique porcelain, pottery and
figurines, where cracks and chips
reduce the value, "some collectors
travel with their own 'black lights,'
an ultraviolet light that shows up
cracks." (If you don't have your
own "black light," ask the dealer
to show you the piece under his.)
On the other hand, collectors
must be wary of "over-restored"
antique furniture, which also has
a reduced value. Terry tells the tale
of a man who bought a chest for
$80,000, then spent considerable
money restoring it — fixing the
drawers, refinishing the wood,
replacing lost hardware. But he
could only get $40,000 when he
sold it because dealers and collec-
tors felt the piece had been "over-
restored."
Scattered throughout the Ko-
vels' books are stories of people
who purchased for pennies an
item at a garage sale or flea mar-
ket that turned out to be a
priceless whatever worth thou-
sands. These stories are, they
swear, "absolutely true. We collect
them. People buy things all the
time that turn out to be valuable."
Once, to prove their point that
bargains can still be found, they
tried an experiment. A writer had
spent the day interviewing them at
their home for a magazine piece.
FRAMING IS A
DELICATE OPERATION
There is much more to framing
than you've probably ever realized.
At The Art Show Gallery, we know all of the fine points of
framing. We will help you choose the right frame, perfectly
suited to your taste, to enhance your art.
Stop by and pick up our
informative brochure about framing.
We also carry:
• Original and unique works
• Contemporary and
traditional oil paintings
• Complete line of framed
and unframed posters
• Original ceramics
20% discount on custom framing
Decorators Welcome
gallery
The Cure for the Blank Wall
West Bloomfield — 6223 Orchard Lake Road (In Sugar Tree) — 855-0813
Troy — 316 West 14 Mile Road (In Oakland Mall) — 585-7470
Royal Oak 710 West 11 Mile Road 544-1199
SPRING '88
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