I Know I Know But This Time I Mean It...Ciao

Enough said. This time I'm really going to take some time off. Not only is my brain fried but I think the PC is too. Its acting up all kinds of crazy. We both need some down time. So, I'm off to the Outer Banks of North Carolina through Labor Day. Ain't that great! Hurricane's please stay away!

I'm hoping that this fall, after such a dark year, will bring us all new thoughts and ambitions. When I get back, I want to take Homer to new Oddessy's. Until then, I hope summer's end finds you ready for exciting new adventures.

At Pebble Beach, High End Holds as Other Prices Soften

New York Times 8.21.9
By ROB SASS

MONTEREY, Calif.

DESPITE the Champagne flutes and oversize hats at the Pebble Beach classic-car celebrations last weekend, it was clear that the economy was weighing on collectors.

Five auctions took place in the Monterey area starting on Aug. 13. And while these provide a gauge of the current market, the mixed results make it hard to reach simple conclusions.

As expected, total dollar volume declined — to about $117 million this year from $138 million in 2008. Gooding & Company was again the overall leader with just over $50 million of sales.

But the total amounts that changed hands don’t tell the whole story: overall results were puffed up by sales of high-price cars like a 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe that brought $7.25 million including buyer’s premium (the weekend’s high sale) at the Mecum Auctions sale; a Ferrari California Spider sold by Gooding for $5.1 million; and a Jaguar C-Type that brought $2.8 million at the RM auction.

A 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Special, once Ettore Bugatti’s personal car, sold for $1.38 million.

A collection of 50 American woodys was also well received, selling for a total of nearly $7.5 million at an RM auction.

The auctions’ sell-through rates — the percentage of cars that actually sold — ranged from a high of more than 80 percent to a low of around 50 percent.

Clearly, buyers at the very top end of the market still have no qualms about writing checks for very expensive cars. The 10 highest single-lot sales came to more than $40 million, or a third of the total.

But the situation was less rosy further down the line. More common cars and those in less-than-perfect condition sold, in many cases, for much less than their low estimates.

Beyond the auctions, Pebble Beach continued to draw sponsors despite the recession. Automakers as varied as Hyundai and Bentley introduced new models here.

Of the classics, a scene-stealer was a 1937 Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet. The imposing German convertible, owned by Robert M. Lee of Sparks, Nev., was named Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance.

Vente à la Bougie

Pardon? Okay, I took fifteen years of french and understand it a little, but this kind of auction is so french.

Now folks, I've tried over the past couple of years to assuage your fears and tutor you a bit about how to enjoy the auction process and get a great deal in the process. However even this story would have me treading very carefully when it comes to buying a property at auction in France. It is fascinating how such processes evolve and I enjoyed this explanation from "French Property News."

"In France, the majority of homes are sold by estate agents and notaires. Properties sold by auction make up a very small percentage of the market, which would suggest it is not necessarily a good place to buy but you may pick up a bargain – it does happen."

Its got me into a bit of wunderlust and is great auction trivia.Full story here. Vivre la France.

Familial Recommendations

News from family and friends have reached me on a hot summer night and its cool news. I'm lucky enough to have such close relations with people that are at the top of their game and I want to pass on the good news and send my best wishes.

To start with, I have an ultra hip LA cousin with the equally smooth name of Alessandro Uzielli, whose restaurant," La Dolce Vita" has been named by Bon Appetite Magazine as a "Top Ten Must-Visit Classic Restaurants." I knew I had found what I was looking for when I entered La Dolce some two years ago on a short trip to LA and sat myself down at the cozy bar. There are perhaps only four or five stools at the bar and a few photos letting me know that my keister was warming the same seats that Sinatra, Cooper and Grant had sat in before. The place had me thinking martini but my great host poured a much finer glass of red before I enjoyed a great Italian dinner and good conversation. It was like I was in "Mad Men" and only lacked the cool blonde at my right. Perhaps I should have stayed an hour longer. Cheer's Al.



I've written before about my great friend Joanie Brady's watercolors and received a new work this evening, so tasty looking for an August summer's dessert endeavor, along with the perfect phrase for thought. You can find more of her work at JoanBrady.com

A Keno Auction House

Here's news on a new auction house from one of the great brother's Keno. Leigh Keno has announced that he is opening an auction house and I wish him great luck.

"We packed up four estates in New England," said Keno on the phone announcing his new venture. "We will have our first sale in May. We are looking for space to rent for the sale, and we will show the highlights on the second floor of my gallery during the Winter Show in January." Here is the full story from Maine Antique Digest.

Mid-August And There's Nothing To Watch..NOT

I'm staying in Sunday night to watch the best show since the Sopranos. Mad Men.

Here's a link to the great Annie Liebovitz photographs from this month's Vanity Fair.

Results From Rago's August Estate Auction

ENGLISH TEA CADDY George III carved fruitwood apple with hinged cover, late 18th C. 5 1/2"

$800 - $1,000
SOLD FOR $2,280.00

The results, I believe, show that there are still great deals to be had in the auction markets but that prices are stabilizing...a bit.Some pieces really went higher than the house thought. I guess I have a good eye ;).Take a look.Prices include the buyers premium.

Here's a fun August sale from Rago's Auction House in Lambertville, NJ. As the press release for the event suggests, many fine pieces from the Stanley estate are going on the block with no reserves; which makes every auction hound salivate. I went through the entire catalogue last night and picked far more pieces than I usually do because their was so much that caught my eye. As a NJ native, I'd love to spend the day at the auction and may have to send some siblings to scope out the action. There's some really nice pieces on sale. Results will of course follows because its so much fun to see what everything is worth, in the auction world. Oy this takes a lot of time..but its what I do!

Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 12 pm: An Estate Auction featuring the Estate of Joseph Stanley

“Buyers will find the best of the Stanley estate in this Saturday sale, all unreserved,” says Tom Martin, the specialist in charge of Estates at Rago’s. “We’ve included 200 lots of his antique English furniture and over 100 paintings and 100 lots of decorative arts and accessories. It’s a treasure trove.”

You can view the entire catalogue here.


WELSH CUPBOARD Pine with brass hardware, ca. 1820-1840. 59" x 16 1/2" x 72"

$600 - $800
SOLD FOR $840.00



SIX ENGLISH REGENCY CHAIRS With caned seat chairs and original painted stenciling, 19th C. 18" x 19" x 31 1/2"

$600 - $800
SOLD FOR $1,200.00



ENGLISH CORNER CUPBOARD Two-piece blue paneled cabinet, 19th C. 44" x 86"

$1,000 - $2,000
SOLD FOR $1,560.00



ENGLISH REGENCY DAYBED Walnut with upholstered seat and matching accent pillows, 19th C. 82" x 26 1/2" x 36 1/2"

$2,000 - $3,000
SOLD FOR $4,200.00



ENGLISH PAPIER MACHE TRAY Scalloped shape with fine peacock and floral embellishments, 19th C. 24 1/2" x 32"

$600 - $800
SOLD FOR $1,200.00



ENGLISH CHINA CABINET Chinoiserie-decorated with many drawers, on stand, 19th C. 40" x 20" x 66"

$800 - $1,200
SOLD FOR $2880.00



ENGLISH LACQUER TABLE Black lacquer tea table, 19th C. 25 3/4" x 30" x 19 3/4"

$400 - $600
SOLD FOR $450.00



ENGLISH BUTLER"S TRAY TABLES Two oak tables, 19th C. 22" x 28" x 18"

$400 - $600
SOLD FOR $1,140.00




ENGLISH CORNER CHAIR Carved oak, missing cushion, 18th c. 18" x 19" x 33 1/4"

$500 - $700
SOLD FOR $420.00



ENGLISH CAMPAIGN-STYLE CHEST Two section, three drawer chest with brass handles in camphor wood, 19th C. 21" x 30" x 42"

$800 - $1,000
DID NOT SELL



SHERATON SOFA Upholstered in yellow silk damask, with original painted decoration, ca. 1810-1820. 71" x 27" x 32"

$1,000 - $1,500
SOLD FOR $3,000.00



It looks like its about to move. Don't you love it?
GEORGIAN DRESSING TABLE Burled walnut with two drawers, claw and ball feet, ca. 1780. 29 1/4" x 18 1/2" x 35 1/2"

$1,200 - $1,500
SOLD FOR $2,400.00



ENGLISH CABINET Gothic display cabinet with mirrored back and glass shelves (not shown), 19th C. 80" x 48 1/2" x 17"

$1,500 - $2,000
SOLD FOR $4,500.00



TORTOISESHELL CHAIRS Fine pair in the Regency style with horsehair upholstery, late 19th/early 20th C. 34" x 19 1/2" x 21"

$10,000 - $15,000
DID NOT SELL. Darn I was wondering what they were worth.



ROYAL COPENHAGEN Flora Danica ice dome with pierced decoration, early 20th C. Inside hairline, restored near base. Blue wave...

$600 - $800
SOLD FOR $1,200.00. Still don't know what its purpose was.


ROYAL COPENHAGEN Seventeen-piece Blue Onion service includes coffee and teapots, sugar and creamer, six cups and saucers...

$300 - $500
SOLD FOR $450.00

David Rockefeller's Introduction to Art

An Interview from MOMA Videos via Youtube isn't this a great new world! Now here is a man worth listening too. Well worth three minutes of your time.

Have You Ever Been To Naples? Forgeddaboudit!

Naples hires ex-cons as tour guides
The program keeps the ex-cons away from crime, while they help tourists do the same.
By Angelica Marin — Special to GlobalPost
Published: August 5, 2009 06:52 ET

I Dunno..whadda you think? Man I love Italy..truly I do. You ever try to peaceably buy a ticket to Capri? Hey!

NAPLES, Italy — In downtown Naples, a group of rowdy men crowd around a tall blond woman, yelling at her in a throaty Italian. Luckily for her, they’re armed with brochures, not guns.

“You should speak English,” says the woman, as she stands at the entrance of the Spanish Quarter holding a map of the city.

“My mentor spoke English,” jokes one man in Italian, “but he died in a train accident yesterday!” Theatrically, he waves his hands into the sky in a sign of prayer. The woman laughs hysterically — still with no idea where to go.

Sporting bright yellow vests and nametags, these animated men look like tourist guides, but have a hard time acting like them. Most speak only Italian, have never heard of personal space and give out tourist brochures as aggressively as a street vendor peddles stolen goods. Perhaps it’s not surprising, as their resumes include petty theft, drug-pushing and armed robbery — the tourist guides are ex-convicts.

In June, 420 ex-cons were deployed throughout Naples by a program called “Esco-Dentro,” or Exit-Inside, which helps newly released convicts re-enter society.

“I spent 19 years of my life in prison,” said Pietro Ioia, an Esco-Dentro worker who learned Spanish while serving two years in a Barcelona prison. “ I’ve made some mistakes, and I want to change. Why don’t people expect us to change?” WHY!!!

As the spokesperson for the Union of Organized Convicts in Naples (DON), Ioia is a strong supporter of the Esco-Dentro initiative. Now in his 50s, he’s gained some perspective and encourages his fellow workers to keep honest so they can keep making the $700 a month the city pays them.

“If I’d had a job every time I left prison, maybe I wouldn’t have wasted all this time behind bars,” he said.

Just weeks after he was interviewed for this story, Ioia found himself behind bars again serving a five-year sentence after the slow-moving Italian justice system caught up with a past charge against him. Now the ex-cons lack a spokesman for their cause.

But earlier this summer, Ioia was stationed at the entrance of the city’s Beverello Harbor, helping tourists find the best pizza and avoid pickpockets — and who better to give that advice than he and his fellow ex-cons?



Naples is a unique mix of architectural beauty and environmental violations. It is home to the infamous Camorra mafia, and has one of the highest crime rates in Italy. It’s no wonder that newly released ex-convicts find it easier to jump back into crime than find a regular job.

“The biggest financial enterprises in southern Italy are the mafia, the Camorra and the ‘Ndrangheta,” said Naples Councilman Corrado Gabriele, who oversees Esco-Dentro. “You don’t need to read Roberto Saviano’s great book to know that,” he said, citing “Gomorrah,” the internationally acclaimed book on the Neapolitan mafia.
More on Italy travel:
Local food, to the extreme
Been ripped off eating in Rome?
Cruising the cobblestones
By targeting ex-cons, Gabriele is chipping away at the Camorra’s workforce. “With this small intervention, we hope they can avoid asking the Camorra for a job,” he said. Gabriele’s approach didn’t pass unnoticed. He has already received direct threats from the Camorra. His political opponents, on the other hand, have criticized him for hiring ex-cons as tour guides, saying that it could hurt the city’s image.

But the $2.8 million allocated by the European Union for Esco-Dentro, said Gabriele, is keeping hundreds of ex-convicts off the streets while providing on-the-job training that could be useful to them in the future — enough payback for the councilman to ignore the disapproving sneers.

Criminologist Antonio Di Rosario, who works for Esco-Dentro as a consultant, said the city is giving them a sense of community.

“This makes the reintegration process into society much easier,” said Di Rosario.

The program will run until December on EU funds. For now it’s unclear whether or not it will continue after that. The city seems unwilling to support the program out of its own pocket. This worries Esco-Dentro workers.

“I have 700 people waiting in line outside my office who don’t want to go back to crime,” said Pietro Ioia, “and we need to give them an answer. Because if they get a job, that means 700 less in the hands of Camorra, and that would be outstanding.

Is This Going To Hurt?

A bit of Friday humor.
NORWALK, Conn. — A Connecticut woman who authorities say spent more than $2,000 to stage a dinner honoring her as "Nurse of the Year" has been charged with pretending to be a nurse at a doctor's office. Betty Lichtenstein, 56, of Norwalk was charged Thursday.

Prosecutors say Dr. Gerald Weiss believed Lichtenstein was a registered nurse, especially after she was named the Connecticut Nursing Association's "Nurse of the Year" in 2008.

According to the arrest warrant, that association does not exist.

The state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit began investigating after a patient complained about Lichtenstein.

She faces up to five years in prison if convicted of reckless endangerment and criminal impersonation charges.

Lichtenstein did not return a telephone message for comment.

Summer Nights In DC Often Sound Like This

A very cool "musical" video for a hot steamy August night.

Give it a few seconds for the sound.Thanks Connie for the heads up.

Its For The Birds

Copley's Steve O'Brien with the Elmer Crowell Canada goose from the Harry Long collection that sold for $661,250.

Art and Antiques Online:Six Decoys Sell For $1.8 Million At Copley Fine Art Auctions
Aug 4th, 2009
By
David S. Smith
The second stop on the annual series of New England decoy auctions featured a stellar selection of decoys and select sporting artwork offered by Steve and Cinnie O'Brien and their firm, Copley Fine Arts Auctions. Opening on Tuesday evening for a special preview party, the auction took place Wednesday and Thursday, July 15 and 16.

After two action-packed days of decoy auctions on the Cape, the large crowds of collectors and dealers migrated north with a sense of great anticipation. Copley had secured the consignment for a group of exquisite Elmer Crowell decoys that had been assembled at the turn of the Twentieth Century by avid sportsman and philanthropist Harry V. Long.

Close to 700 lots were offered during the two-day auction, with the first day focusing on decoys, while day two served up a stellar selection of sporting art by masters such as Ogden Pleissner, Aiden Lassell Ripley, Frank Benson, Edmund Osthaus and Lynn Bogue Hunt. The auction grossed an impressive $4,158,929; even more impressive is the fact that $1.8 million of that total came from the six of the seven Crowell decoys from the Long collection.


The crowd waited with anticipation for the Elmer Crowell carved preening pintail from the Harry Long collection to be sold. The lot opened at $275,000, with it selling moments later to a buyer in the rear of the room for $546,250.

Here is the full story.