A Major Gripe

[ArtisanUK]

Hope I didn't sound snippy, Choice. It's just that I whole heartedly agree with your statement about sooner rather than later in getting this whole repro thing sorted. Time is of the essence here as May is looming and sellers are going to be looking for places to come.
To be honest I am considering moving back 'over there' I can't carry on like this forever and won't email all my customers at the minute to tell them I've moved because I really feel like I would be doing more harm than good to this site on a long-term basis.
Timing is everything - and we are nearly out.

[gazza]

We've changed the Antiques category around a little and added some new subcategories. Let us know if you need more and can you be very specific when requesting by showing how they would be set out in conjunction with our current structure.

Thanks
Gazza

[ArtisanUK]

Is there going to be a Repro category in the art section Gazza or are we to class anything upto 1989 as repro even if it was made this year?

If so, does that mean items dated around the 1920's can go into the pre1900 section?

Sorry, but I started this thread because we had a problem with repro in art - and everybody is getting sorted 'cept me - and when one of my customers emails me and tells me they don't like to view the art section because it is full of repro Canalettos, then I think I should pass it on.

I'm trying to get other sellers to post in the art section ... and it just ain't working.

[merlin]

artisan
you need to give gaz full information on what you want to see
give a list
eg: fine art / 18thc / 19th c
repro art paintings oil / water colour / reprints etc.

don`t forget if we not into art it`s impossible to know exactly what you require so a simple list of whats required in one thread would make it easier

good luck

[Gothicina]

We've changed the Antiques category around a little and added some new subcategories. Let us know if you need more and can you be very specific when requesting by showing how they would be set out in conjunction with our current structure.

Thanks
Gazza

Is there going to be a Repro category in the art section Gazza or are we to class anything upto 1989 as repro even if it was made this year?

If so, does that mean items dated around the 1920's can go into the pre1900 section?

Sorry, but I started this thread because we had a problem with repro in art - and everybody is getting sorted 'cept me - and when one of my customers emails me and tells me they don't like to view the art section because it is full of repro Canalettos, then I think I should pass it on.

I'm trying to get other sellers to post in the art section ... and it just ain't working.

I think you need to be really specific about what you want Artisan, so that Gazza can get it right for you.


At the Moment,
the 1st level subcategories
Paintings/Drawings/Photographs all have subcats of
Antique (Pre 1900)
Modern (1900 to 1989)
Contemporary (1990 to now)
Other

so you've got the timelines in place already.


I don't know much about the subject but would it work, to rename & duplicate the 1st level of subcategories so
instead of Paintings/Drawings/Photographs
you get
Paintings (Original)
Paintings (Reproduction)
Drawings (Original)
Drawings (Reproduction)
Photographs (Original)
Photographs (Reproduction) Can you have a repro photo, or is that a print?
all with the timeline subcats as above.

Would this solve the problem?

[ArtisanUK]

I did make a couple of suggestions a while ago Gothicina, and also reported a few auctions but all but one are still in place.

I really don't think the categories need a major overhaul.
You have datelines under each section (prints excluded) of

Pre 1900
1900-1989
1990-now
other

Absolutely nothing wrong there. What is wrong is that?
But actually listed in the 1900-1989 category are 156 auctions. 112 of those are listed as modern reproductions i.e. should be in the 1990-now catergory (I'm not including the Sinatra and Roosevelt paintings in this)
So, the first thing either buyers or sellers hit are repros when in actual fact they expect to find period pieces.
This section, together with drawings, are the first people look in and it just gives a bad overall impression. After a couple of pages of repro oils buyers disappear because they are bored and sellers aren't prepared to waste their time listing because they know they will be fighting an ever increasing amount of repro.

The prints section is the area that actually needs reorganising regarding categories.
You have
1980 - now
Post 1900
Pre 1900

There is no end dateline on the 'post 1900' section and since last week there are over an extra thousand listings in that section bringing the total up to 19595.
Who the hell is going to wade through that lot?
It is further broken down into limited editions, open editions and other.
But you still have over 18,000 listed in the open editions.
I have no idea how many of those should be in the 1980-now category but even if a cut-off of 1980 was added I can't see it would make much difference because we have a similar cut off in paintings and repro is still allowed in there.

Like I said, it isn't the categories that need re-organising (apart from prints) it's the fact that so much repro is allowed in the different sections and nothing is done about removing them.

[kedo]

Like I said, it isn't the categories that need re-organising (apart from prints) it's the fact that so much repro is allowed in the different sections and nothing is done about removing them.

I think I agree with you ArtisanUK. I've had a 'live and let live' attitude upto now but perhaps it's time for a clean up. I do find it irritating that reproduction 'prints' of paintings are listed in the pre1900 print section. Reproductions of prints I can live with but reproductions of paintings is just silly. I don't suppose those who want to list 20th century stuff will feel any different.

Incidentally, I know that other dealers are watching with interest as I've had one or two contact me (plus one signed up through me). Seems like there is real potential in this area.

[ArtisanUK]

Thanks, Kedo!

Thing is, if I took my stuff off the paintings section, it would leave about 10 authentic items i.e. 1900-1989 in there and the remainder would be repro.

I emailed 20 of my customers, who incidentally are buyers and sellers, to let them know where I was. Of those, 2 bounced back and of the other 18, 2 bothered to email me to tell me they weren't happy about all the repro in the sections. One as a buyer and the other as a buyer/seller.
If I am getting negative feedback from such a small proportion of my customers, then like you say, how many others are sat out there waiting to move in?

Art and Antiques are one section where the money can be made on final value fees, yet at the moment we have loads of stuff listed that is earning eBid nothing and not likely to.
For me this just feels like a huge opportunity passing by.

[kedo]

Hmm... just been to have a look. I've got one or two original paintings that I've been meaning to list. I can see your problem now. I guess I've got it easy with antique prints, I can always swamp the repro (given time), it's not so easy with one-offs.

I think there's a lot of merit in Gothicinas' suggestion.

[Gothicina]

Although I don't know much about the subject, I do know that not all reproductions are recent, there were plenty around in the 1960's for instance.
That's why I suggested the change,
maybe something similar can be done with prints?

ONCE the categories are set, perhaps a general email,+ site announcement, plus section in the newsletter, pointing out that the new categories have been added, & giving a set length of time for Sellers to move their items to the correct one (maybe support could help with this?), after which their listings will be liable to be removed.

Gazza has done a blitz before on wrongly categorised items.