Art Auctions

[Simru12]

Simru 12 - Princess has their own art auction department. The art work is owned and auctioned by Princess. They do not use Park West on the Princess ships.

 

My apologies, just improper wording. I checked Park West's website since they handle a LOT of other ships. Princess Global Fine Art doesn't have a website or inventory list (or at least one I could find), so thought I could get an idea of what was out there.

 

Mea cupla

[kadiebug12]

SIMRU12-

We are Todd White fans and own 3 of his paintings (that I've seen in galleries for a bit more than we paid on Princess). We wanted to acquire another piece on our last cruise just a couple of weeks ago and I am sad to say that we were told Princess is no longer carrying Todd White. I think sometimes once artists get a following and they stop using the cruiseline to showcase their art. :(

 

If you see one on your trip, let me know!

 

Kadie

[Trevoli]

<<These auctions are just that, auctions. The buyer sets the price and if they over pay they have no one to blame other than themselves unless the piece was misrepresented.>>

 

I think that is what a lot of people complain about, that the art they bid on and paid for, was misrepresented. Bidders are led to believe that a piece is worth more than it is, sometimes by a great deal of money, and the uneducated will pounce on it. Buying a Dali with an original signature for $10,500, only to find similar pieces at home for a whole lot less, for instance.

 

Personally, I don't understand why ANYBODY would purchase a piece of art worth more than $1k at a ship's auction. If I were going to drop that kind of dough, I'd do it at a local gallery that I trust and can go back to if something's amiss.

 

That being said, I have made many purchases on board, never more than $250 each piece, simply because I loved it and could picture it in my home. I haven't been disappointed yet.

 

Jetwet 1, during auctions, we've always been told that the numbered prints were merely representative of what would be shipped to us, as the stuff onboard is merely a display and the stock is somewhere in Miami. So, I knew if I was looking at a piece 25/350, I knew I wasn't going to get 25/350.

 

While I have never tested this policy, I understand that Princess will fully refund your purchase price (less premiums, shipping, etc.) at any time if you're unhappy with a purchase, so if you expected a piece from a 350-total lot, and got one from a 1000-total lot, I'd be asking some questions.

 

T

[Griff4AU]

Like many things, the more you understand, the more you can appreciate.

 

I was on a Carnival ship earlier in the year, and I will agree with the above - I was horribly disappointed with Park West. I am glad they don't handle the Princess auctions.

 

If you know who you want, then you can save lots of money at a ship's auction. Wyland, who was mentioned above, is an excellent example. You will save money on a Wyland if you don't have a local Wyland gallery. Otherwise, if you don't understand who you're looking at and what you're looking at, when you should just set back and enjoy the auctions. They can be very fun.