Livingston Roberts painting

Sometimes I'm moved to give a quick and easy free appraisal on things. I don't know why, but I do.

Here's an example, one of the trials and tribulations faced by dealers and collectors in general. People think we are all liars.

I'll just post the 3 or 4 emails from XYZ this morning.

In a message dated 3/30/2010 5:18:11 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, XYZ.com writes:
Hello,

I have, in my home, a pair of Livingston Roberts paintings. I am looking to
sell them to the right home. Can you give me some advice on doing so?

Thank You,

XYZ

On Mar 31, 2010, at 7:51 AM, Hwymnbnb@aol.com wrote:


Hi. The right home is very hard to find right now due to the economy.

I need advice myself, and I work this market 24/7 !

If you can find an auction house, or use eBay, they should bring 200-300 each.

I, too, wish it were more. You should wait to sell them.

BOB

www.highwaymen-buy-sell-trade.com
www.highwaymenart.blogspot.com

In a message dated 3/31/2010 10:09:34 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, XYZ.com writes:

Oh my! Thank you for the info.
Things must be really bad right now, since less than 2 months ago Al Black told us we were looking at 5K per painting! I guess Things change fast. Thanks again for your time.
XYZ

No, XYZ, nothing has changed.

I could just say "Most of the market knows he's a "scoundrel", and leave it at that.

Instead you get this:

Al Black went to prison for several years for some kind of financial deceit.
Now he's out and he's putting out a public image as an angel. Facts.

You get straight plain English from here. Some people call me a know-it-all.

Al was using the theory of "strategic prevarication", a course they teach at Harvard Law School. Or maybe someone misinformed him. Period.

I have nothing against Al Black. I find him to be a likable aggressive businessman.

He didn't know his work was printed in full color in the NY Times until I personally showed it to him last February in The Safety Harbor Museum. No one had thought to inform him for eight years. So, I too, have met and spoken with Al Black.

It theoretically psychologically makes his paintings worth more to whomever may be listening if he embellishes market values.

At the absolute peak of the market 4-5 years ago, your two were worth about 1250.00 apiece, closer to 1000, but never even close to 5000.
I have bought and sold several pairs just like them, and seen maybe a hundred similar, so I know peak market results for a fact.

Al Black wasn't there at that time, he was busy.

Al would like you to believe that his own paintings are certainly worth many thousands as well, his old ones, but especially the ones he painted yesterday. Any amateur who knows how to spell Google can find auction records for any of these paintings with very little trouble, by any of the highwaymen.

The truth lies there, in public records, as well as in what I'm telling you.

I don't really blame Al for it, in a way, because it makes good greedy business sense to try to sell high. File that under sales approach in your business file. Embellishing would be a legal term for it.

Don't hold it against me for telling you the truth. Your paintings are very nice, obviously original, and they appeal to my eye. We couldn't call them masterpieces by Livingston Roberts, however.
I only wish (harder than even you, maybe) that your beloved paintings were worth closer to 5000 apiece.

And things are really bad right now, you're right about that.

I appreciate your thanks, and I have given you even more personal free time out of that appreciation.

I'll make you famous, too.
I am going to post a form of our emails in my blog, but I won't use your name or address.

You can be XYZ.

I try to stay away from the negative parts of this market when I post stuff, but I'm not afraid to call a silver-tongued devil a silver-tongued devil.

And, as you found out, sometimes I give free appraisals.

BOB

FOLLOWING UP

XYZ was very respectful and sent the following response the next day.
I appreciate that and thank her publicly. Here it is:

Bob,
I love getting the truth even if it hurts (since hubby has been out of
work for one year this very day). Integrity is very important to me so
I apprecate your information. My husband has a computer repair
business that we are trying to grow in these hard times. So I
understand fully and apprecate your giving me a free appraisal. We are
inexperinced with this stuff so your help was takin with open ears. ;-)
I will keep on plugging and you have a blessed rest of the week.
Thanks again for your time.
XYZ