 
Looking Up Auction Results
Art collector Eli Broad once said, "People always say
congratulations. When you're a successful bidder it means you're
willing to spend more money than anyone else. I'm not sure if that's
congratulations or condolences." To avoid overpaying, one can find
auction results online, even if he or she has never attended an art
auction house or an art auction online. Before looking to buy
original art or participate in auctions on ebay, one should find
some intriguing artists and look up artist prices.
One can research discreetly, without the pressure of people hovering
around them, chattering and auctioneers shouting. Before attending
an auction, it's good to know what one is looking for - and also
what one can expect to pay as a fair price. Just because an artist
is famous, doesn't mean that all the works will be worth the same
amount, so it's good to know the variances in prices for different
time periods of that artist's life. Why pay over $478,000 for a Dali
from 1957, when one can pay $5,000 for a piece that's just as
enjoyable, but was painted in 1983? Also, one can track market
changes through the years and see what someone paid for a certain
painting in 1985, 1995 and 2005. Often times, rare or unknown works
can be viewed in auction results as well, making the dig an exciting
one!
To look up art prices in an instant, there are several websites of
which to be aware. The first, AskArt.com, is sometimes referred to
as "the artists' bluebook worldwide," with a database of over
100,000 artists - with a focus on American artists from the 16th
Century to present. However, as of January 2007, the database was
expanded to encompass international artists as well! AskArt.com's
mission statement says, "It is the goal of AskART to facilitate the
exchange of art and information pertaining to the subject. We
anticipate that our work will better enable art historians and
scholars to define and analyze trends, make heretofore unrecognized
connections, and establish reputations for those artists who, for
whatever reason, may have eluded fame or fortune in their day." In
addition to gaining access to auction results, one can easily look
up books, museums, exhibits, auction houses and records, quick facts
on a certain artist, magazine ads, image gallery, artist summaries -
or participate in a discussion board conversation. This is perhaps
the most user-friendly site one could hope for, with eye-catching
topics on the homepage, like "notable sculptors," "highest prices at
auctions," or "art for sale by dealers." The curious may research,
check the marketplace or browse new popular artists at AskArt with
no registration required. It is truly the scholarly collector's best
choice for arts resources!
To look up auction results, art enthusiasts may register at
ArtNet.com, where they'll find the price of fine art by over 180,000
international artists from over 500 international fine art auctions,
tallying over 3.5 million auction sales. The new 20th Century Design
section is a good find on ArtNet, where browsers can check Tiffany
lamps, Ponti chairs and Newson lounges. The high-quality full color
illustrations make it enjoyable to browse.
Auction results hunting can be very enjoyable. Prospective buyers
can see rare works by their favorite artists and perhaps even find
similar emerging artists. The advanced notification system and
newsletters can alert the busy professional when his or her favorite
auction art will be available.
Art Auctions Information
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