The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19
CkN'TSELL FAMILY TREASURES
DISAPPOINTMENT COMES WIEN
THEY ARE MARKETED.
Long Owned Pictures and China Supposed
70, lie Priceless Turn Out to he Worth
Little or Nothing; -Paintings OFTEN Do
Not Gain I'm MOhey Value With Age,

give estimates On lH0t NuiAo 20 VIZ eAbNN
brought TO him has given that up and
declares he will never again take up what
was a very Improbable and disagreeable
phase of his business.
1T did not happen once in twenty times
he told THE sun reporter the other day.
that the article submitted was worthy OF
notice. 1t was very hard, however. to con-
vince the owners Of the truth of this Most
of them had cherished them for years In
tho belief that they had great value, and it
was n shock to nave this faith suddenly
shattered.
Il will give you an instance of the sort
Of thing that l had TO go through: Once a
woman wrote me that she had a miniature
painted by Fragonard which had come
Gown 10 her from members Of her family,
who had received it directly from the
painter. She wanted TO sell it to help out
a church in which she was interested. and
was too poor to give it money. After a
family council, and ] nave no doubt after
fasting and prayer, the picture was Sc
lected as the sacrifice for the charity. !
told the woman to bring it TO me, as 1t
sounded interesting, although 1 was ma
turally sceptical as to the origin OF the
painting. / knew, moreover, that like
all women with paintings that seemed old.
she would expect a large sum for it.
"The picture was unwrapped with great
care and it's owner looked as II she expected
me to topple over In m and admira-
ton. II was about six inches square and
not In very good repair, as the painting
had already begun to peel of the copper
on which 1t was laid. 1t was probably a
hundred years old and worth about $40,
The owner expected hundreds. II she had
been an ordinary business connection /
might nave told her at once just what the
thing was. She had come to me, however,
through a friend and l wanted to be as con-
sIderate us possible of her feelings.
81 was told by an artist she said COM
placently. that we ought to be able to get
hundreds Of dollars for the picture. You
know'-this was a final recommendation-'it
IL painted on copper.
"That did not increase its value by ST.
but j could not tell her so. S I took ref
uge In delay. Telling her that l would
rec what could be done with the picture
and let her know. l sent her away.
In a few days / returned it to her saying
that the state OF the market for such things
was not now Of a nature that would enable
her to get the best price and that | did not
believe that what was offered would be sufi!-
cient TO compensate her for parting with a
heirloom which had u great value to her.
With this letter l returned the miniature,
didn't save any trouble by that as there
came back a letter by the next mail saying
hat the church needed money at once
and that the owner after consultation
with her family had agreed to take $500 for
me painting provided it waa sold imme-
liately.
ct l,.I - - pauyn fhDf ~ uun1tlI vat h0
possible tn get that amount and suggested
that delay would be much better, l was
then requested to offer it to several persons
who are always in the eye OF all prospective
purchasers Of art objects once they are
nut on the market. That letter let me out
with more grace than l had counted on.
| answered that l was not in that kind Of
business and hat there were dealers who
would attempt TO sell the picture in this
way. The last time / heard Of it the So
called Fragonard was making the rounds
from one millionaire TO another with o.
c~asional interludes at the museums"
This dealer was not prepared to say that
il would not have been better for him to
tell the woman outright that there was no
chance for her to get anything like the
amount she expected.
THAT is the businesslike course" he
admitted, -and at long distance it is all
right. There never is a large auction sale
in New York hat / do not get letters from
all over the country Offering me almost
priceless paintings that have hung for
years in the homes Of persons who are
willing to sell them when they have read
Of the large amounts brought at some Of
The picture sales in New York. / answer
them very promptly that they must seek
elsewhere for a valuation on their pictures
and that they will probably find their value
much less than they think. II il Is a painter
whose works / know, / tell them very hon
estly what the picture is worth. This will
probably smash the belief OF "a lifetime,
but there Is always the consolation that
comes to the owners from q lack OF conf
dence in my judgment.
Lots OF these supposed treasures belong
TO women in the South. The women's
exchanges In these towns are full Of them.
They hold on to them as long as possible
and through long association and through
their own association with them they ac-
quire a fictitious value. The neighborhood
gets to know for instance Of Mrs. ~Culpepper's
beautiful Chinese tea service brought
from China by her uncle when he was sent
there as Minister, or the beautiful Chippen-
dale that was brought down South by
Miss CAROLS great grandmother when
she married into a Boston family. Visitors
from the North tell of the high prices that
such things would bring there and urge
the owner to sell. Occasional milllonaires
on q visit to the South pay some high
figure for things Of this kind. After a
while these possessions come to represent
a small fortune to their owners II is only
when they are put on the market that dis
i~llusionment comes.
Last year a woman that | knew OF
sent to the North some chairs OF undoubted
genuineness, There were eight Of them,
and she had been told that they ought
20 bring $500 at least. The market value
was about SIS. They were offered to vari-
GUS persons, but the difference between
what she expected for them inc the price
they could bring in the market could not
be reconciled. In the meantime she had
paid for the freight and for certain necessary
RESERVATIONS, enough to make IL necessary
for her 10 get still more for them TO realize
anything like the amount she wanted.
In desperation they were sent to dealers
in antiques who were not OF the highest
reputation. At the last account I had OF
them they we're still unsold, with charges
Of various kinds constantly increasing 1
and little chance Of their being disposed OF
for anything like the sum demanded.
1ln another case that came under my
knowledge an entire set OF china was sent
TO New York under the impression that it