Never let your wife talk you out of a purchase!!!

[theantiquetiger]

This past weekend, I was browsing an antique store with my wife, something we have never done because she doesn’t like antiques. I come across a painting (which I thought was just a print at first) by an artist name Aldo Luongo. It was cheaply framed and under glass, that’s why it was difficult to tell if it was a print or original. It was mostly flat (like a print), but it had paint that you could see in certain spots. Plus, it was on art board, not paper.
It was $125 and of course my wife says, “You don’t need that!”, so I passed on it. It’s been eating at me for two days now, and after doing more research on it and contacting his gallery, I have learned it is an original, not a print. His prints sell for $50-$200. His originals sell for $2000-$5000.

It’s going to be a long two days before I can get back to the store and buy it. I just like the painting, not buying it to re-sell.

[Marko]

You must have a man-wall somewhere in the house.
Next time just say, "It's going on the man-wall".

[theantiquetiger]

I do have my “office”, where I hang all my photographs, etc. As I write this post, I am actually sitting in the parking lot of the antique store, waiting for it to open. I have 13 minutes. I have corresponded with the artist’s daughter several times the last couple days. She believes it’s an original, from how I described the t.

[theantiquetiger]

Well, I get home, find out it is an original painting. I contacted his studio, they confirm it and value it at $7500+

[Runmonty]

nice pick up.

[theantiquetiger]

It is now nicely framed. I haven’t decided if I want to sell it or not

[Marko]

It's really nice - I wouldn't sell...yet

[theantiquetiger]

I do have it for sale, but I’m asking $8500. The artist is a very interesting guy. He is 79 years old, recently married to a beautiful 30-something model. All he does is hang with celebrities, drinks, paints, and snow skis/snowmobiles. He is living the life of Hawk, the man in my painting.

[mbrager]

It makes for a better story if you sell it, IMO.

[theantiquetiger]

Update on the painting...

I have taken it down for sale. I contacted the painter and he said it’s from around 1975. It was painted before he started painting “Hawk” regularly. He said it was during his “design of the spirit of Hawk”.

This puts my painting as one of the very early Hawk pieces. I believe this adds a ton more value to it. If you know who George Rodrige is, Blue Dog” painter, his early pieces of Blue Dog are extremely valuable. Hawk is basically the Blue Dog of California.

I really don’t need to sell it, I don’t need the money. Hate to sound morbid, but the artist is nearly 80 years old. After he is gone, his stuff will go through the roof, like George Rodrigue’s paintings did. I remember when an original Blue Dog sold for under $10,000. Now I see them for $25,000-$150,000. George Rodrigue died 6 years ago.