5/10/2010

Salander Decorative Arts Sold at Auction

I reported a short while ago that personal property taken from art dealer Lawrence Salander would be auctioned by Stair Galleries. The property included oriental rugs, furniture and some miscellaneous items. The 250 lot sale was held to reimburse those who Salander stole from, the total of which was $120 million.

According to Stair Galleries the sale was strong, bringing solid prices, and totaled $472,067.00. This included a Gothic Revival Breakfront, which sold for $22,000.00 (see image). A far cry from the $120 million Salander admitted he stole from clients and creditors. Stair will hold a second auction in July with contents from a second Salander home.  The New York City townhouse is on the market for $14.25, down from $25 million, and there is supposedly a contract on the home.

Philip Boroff  reports for Bloomberg

‘Very Successful’

“In this economy I think it was very successful,” said Stair, after the sale. Just a pair of items didn’t sell, he said.

Stair took what he could get for other items, including $25 for a pink pottery basin and $50 for a backless day bed that had a low estimate of $400.

Salander’s 9,200-square-foot seven-bedroom townhouse, with two kitchens and an elevator, recently found a buyer after two years on the market. It’s advertised at $14.25 million after being originally listed for $25 million in early 2008.

Broker Lydia Rosengarten of Leslie J. Garfield & Co. wouldn’t disclose the townhouse’s price or buyer and said she expected the purchase to close this month.

Second Home

Stair said he’s planning an auction for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in July for the contents of Salander’s second home, a 66-acre property in Millbrook, New York, which is also on the market. Thomas Genova, a lawyer who is the trustee overseeing Salander’s personal bankruptcy, said the dealer is now living in an apartment in Millbrook.

Charles Ross, Salander’s criminal lawyer, declined to comment after the sale.

In May 2008, New York’s Tepper Galleries LLC sold almost 300 antique carpets from the Salander-O’Reilly LLC, raising about $250,000.

To read the full article, click HERE.

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