Fellow appraiser Francine Proulx of Art/Antiques Information Resource sent me a NY Times article about New York English furniture dealer Carlton Hobbs. (Francine has a great list service for appraisers on shows, educational opportunities and websites, I recommend you check out her website and professional services at www.artantiquesinfo.com). This story on Hobbs is starting to gain some traction in the press. ArtInfo and MarketWatch are also carrying stories and information on the Hobbs situation. Links are at the bottom of the post.You may recall, back in May, the NY Times ran a story on John Hobbs, an upper market English furniture dealer in London. The article reported on how much of what John Hobbs had been selling was having questions of authenticity and condition disclosures. To read that article, click HERE. The article is so good, we use it as an example in our Good, Better, Best Appraiser Workshop.
Now the NY Times has an article on Ney York dealer Carlton Hobbs, John's brother. It appears Carlton is now having some of the same problems as his brother. The NY Times article states "a 73-page report recently reviewed by The New York Times, and dozens of supporting photographs, suggest that those customers may not always be getting what they pay for. The report appears to show that Carlton Hobbs, like his brother, employed a British furniture restorer named Dennis Buggins to create both outright fakes and radically altered vintage pieces that could be offered for sale as high-quality original antiques. As his brother did, he denies having done so."
All very interesting. As appraisers, we need to be aware that there are fakes and frauds at every level within the marketplace. Therefore, even if the property comes from a respected merchant, make sure to do your due diligence.
To read the NY Times article on NY dealer Carlton Hobbs, click HERE.
This story is really starting to take off. ArtInfo also has a very good article on the Hobbs brothers and the accusations of restorer Dennis Buggins. Click HERE to read. MarketWatch is also reporting on it, click HERE to read.
3 comments:
Carlton Hobbs LLC, the long established internationally renowned antiques dealer today forcefully and factually denounced a New York Times article and falsehoods uttered by estranged family members.
“We are dismayed and disappointed The New York Times would rely on John Hobbs and his son Rupert, whose motivation according to The New York Times itself was seemingly to ‘visit some of the pain his father has endured this year upon his uncle Carlton,’" said Stefanie Rinza, Carlton Hobbs’ managing director. “Our extensive comments and responses to questions put to us prior to the publication of the article were dismissed by the authors and not printed.”
“Our business is sound and successful and is based upon great diligence and rigorous processes in the acquisition, restoration, research and description of our pieces,” said Ms Rinza.
Demonstrating its confidence in its pieces the firm in May 2008 instituted the unprecedented “Carlton Hobbs Expert Verification and Authenticity Guarantee.” The program, unique in the trade, provides independent and accredited expert assessment at no cost to clients of any item purchased from the firm in the last 15 years.
“Having carried out our in depth review, as well as the expert verification, we are delighted with the results of the expert findings and have had nothing but positive feedback from our clients and the trade,” said Ms. Rinza.
The document upon which The New York Times authors relied heavily, and referred to in the article as a “draft report,” was undermined by a signed statement by Dennis Buggins in which he acknowledged that the report was commissioned by him “for the sole purposes of assisting him in litigation". Mr. Buggins' statement adds that the maker of the report, Nicholas Somers, “did not physically review a number of the items referred to in the report.” The New York Times also reported “that seven hours of the day he (Somers) spent at the workshop was spent interviewing Mr. Buggins (rather than inspecting furniture).” On that day he viewed a total of 43 pieces, according to Mr. Buggins’ statement.
Mr. Buggins further acknowledged in his signed statement that Somers admitted in his report he was not an expert in some areas he commented on.
Carlton Hobbs said it did not participate in Somers' review in any way and was only ever shown an incomplete draft of the report.
John Hobbs, The New York Times reported, closed his London antiques business after articles in the Sunday Times of London and The New York Times alleged he sold fakes.
“Unlike others in the trade, we provide and have always provided a product guarantee which is extremely generous in the business and compares most favorably with that provided, for example, by some of the major auction houses,” Ms. Rinza explained
‘We are very proud of the wonderful pieces we have carefully sourced and supplied to our clients over many years and are happy about our solid company policies which remain in place,” Ms. Rinza concluded.
The above response fails to mention the $1 million + that Dennis Buggins was paid by Carlton and Co to sign what they wanted and keep his mouth shut. The argument was between Carlton and Dennis. John had nothing to do with it. Since both John and Carlton used the same restorer for years. How likely is it that the same restorer made fakes for one brother and not the other, if fakes were made at all? I can understand Rupert's desire to...‘visit some of the pain his father has endured this year upon his uncle Carlton...'.
I started working for Dennis in the 90s as a finisher, Carlton and John both had dodgy furniture made by the team at Hurst Farm in Chilham, it has always annoyed me that 'honest' John has taken the brunt of the accusations and the mud flinging regarding his business, kind of unfair I would say.
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