Ctein's experience with Guernsey's Auction House

[TheFlyingCamera]

How to make a Small Fortune in photography...

It's a tragedy. Just want to warn folks here in advance, and hopefully bump up the article's search rating to boot, so more folks get the message.

[holmburgers]

Interesting read from Ctein, thanks for posting. I appreciate his outwardness and sharing some of the "inner-dealings" of the art photography world.

[jawarden]

This does sound bad, but remember we're hearing just one side of this story, and it never ceases to amaze me how things can change when the other side comes out.

I'm not saying I don't believe the story, but that the story is incomplete, and this auction company is being publicly flogged (not here) based on only half the story. I'm not comfortable with attacking someone's livelihood based on a one-sided internet report.

[holmburgers]

Good point. The outwardnes is interesting, but it does make you wonder about the other side. Everybody usually thinks they're right; that's human nature afterall.

[resummerfield]

Yes, that was a very interesting read. Thanks for posting.

[Photo Engineer]

Ummm, with dead silence from the other end, that is a message in itself! Don't you agree?

Just rhetorical, as we will probably never hear the other side, but I do know Ctein and he is an up front, honest person in his dealings, so the article appears quite valid to me.

PE

[jawarden]

Ummm, with dead silence from the other end, that is a message in itself! Don't you agree?

PE

No, I don't get a message from silence, other than the possibility that they've lawyered-up and have been told to keep quiet while the lawyers make some calls to straighten it out. Who knows?

Like I said earlier this story sounds bad, but attacking someones business based on a one sided story that "sounds bad" (especially when I don't have a dog in the fight) doesn't feel right to me. It would sure suck to find out only after pushing a lot of harmful press that the auction house wasn't as culpable as I thought.

Just $0.02.

Jeff

[Photo Engineer]

Jeff;

I can agree with your POV, however the correct response in that case would be "we have contacted our attorney and he will be in touch with you". That is a more reasoned reaction if what you say is true.

And, that response is usually given under advice of attorney.

PE

[jawarden]

True. I think they should say something too.

I think they're probably dunderheads that can't handle a print. Probably. :-)

[jnanian]

i read that last night scott -
seems like a nightmare ..

and i can see how it could be true
the gallery world is not doing well
it makes sense the auction houses are having trouble too ..

sorry to hear ctien lost those images, a lot of them were irreplaceable