The museum, it seems, was in a tearing hurry to spend a legacy before its time limit ran out, and the Picasso filled the bill nicely. But when it came to actually putting a signature on a cheque (or rather, doing an electronic money transfer), their expert got a severe case of the hesitations. Which my expert cured by making him think we wanted to call the deal off because there was another buyer on the horizon.
In the event, I’ve acquired a handsome profit on my original purchase price, even after my expert and the taxman combined will have an arm and a couple of legs off me. All in all, it’s been an interesting and entertaining month, rather than a couple of weeks, and a fascinating look into the world of high-power art purchases.
Monday, 27 February 2012
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Where have I been?
Unloading a Picasso, is the quick answer. Following my sudden elevation to the ranks of the filthy rich some 18 months ago, I was let in on a sure-fire brilliant deal. The latest of a long line of aristos was eager for some ready cash and he had a couple of 1920s Picassos, which his father had treasured but which he had never rated. After seeing them, I didn’t blame him.
Naturally, my first thought after the approach was that maybe someone was setting me up to be ripped off, that I was about to be sold the equivalent of the Brooklyn Bridge or the Eiffel Tower. After appropriate checking, I decided to take a punt on the “least worst” of them, but I actually ended up buying both of them.
To my surprise, I was approached at the end of last year by an American museum, which was desperate to acquire what I consider to the more horrible of the pair of Picassos. And I’ve spent the last couple of weeks looking over my expert’s shoulder while the buyer’s experts checked my provenance. The deal is supposed to go off at the weekend. More after that.
Naturally, my first thought after the approach was that maybe someone was setting me up to be ripped off, that I was about to be sold the equivalent of the Brooklyn Bridge or the Eiffel Tower. After appropriate checking, I decided to take a punt on the “least worst” of them, but I actually ended up buying both of them.
To my surprise, I was approached at the end of last year by an American museum, which was desperate to acquire what I consider to the more horrible of the pair of Picassos. And I’ve spent the last couple of weeks looking over my expert’s shoulder while the buyer’s experts checked my provenance. The deal is supposed to go off at the weekend. More after that.
Friday, 3 February 2012
Unintended consequences
How typical that one of Labour’s wimmin should get the Top Totty guest beer banned from the bar at the House of Common Criminals. And how heart-warming it is to hear that the publicity from Kate Green’s fit of charmless PC pique has left Slater’s Ales struggling to meet the demand for this product.
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