Sydney Morning Herald
Sting in the sale for buyers
Peter Fish
September 1, 2007
Article in the Sydney Morning Herald about a new 25 per cent buyer’s premium at auction.The article also talks about the Menzies Art Brand rationalisation.
Quoted from the article:
The Menzies Art Brands title places under one corporate roof the activities of the upmarket Deutscher-Menzies art house, the more middle-of-the-road Lawson-Menzies operation, Lawsons in Annandale, and Lawsons Online. The intent is to hold four fine art sales a year, with the Lawson-Menzies sale a day after DM’s. Lawson-Menzies will also continue to hold Aboriginal art sales in June and November.
Renaming the group and placing it under the control of Adrian Newstead is aimed at allowing the disparate group to rationalise its databases, accounting and administration. Unfortunately it seems there will be no attempt to reinvigorate the Annandale operation, though the weekly sales will continue in these rooms. Critics say the emphasis on the more remunerative fine art side of the business has left the traditional strength of the historic Lawsons operation – its decorative art, furniture, tribal art, silver and book sales – looking down-at-heel. Anecdotal evidence suggests vendors with serious material to sell in these areas have been looking to other auctioneers.
