Complaint Review: Park West Gallery - Southfield Michigan

Salvador Dali is ranked as the #1 most faked/forged artist. My best advice is just to stay away. I can buy a original signed Salvadore Dali piece from his divine comedy series and from his biblia sacra series for $199.00 with a certificate of authenticity and a listing guarantee from a reputable gallery. Prices for Dali are all over the board. If the edition size is 3900 on one and 1499 on the other from the mid 1960's... then how come every gallery has tons of his same works from unsigned to signed in plate to hand signed. Not to mentions works in the hands of collectors and museums. Well the answer is that there is much more editions. There is an French edition, Italian Edition and a German edition with all roughly reflecting the same so called original limited edition sizes. Editions can vary from year published as well editions on different types of paper. So basically if you call three different galleries you are going to get three different answers. I bought a so called rare Dali from his biblia sacra series for $275 that included the orginal tissue guard from the publisher as well as the orginal chant and justification du tirage and COA. Another gallery had the same work of art selling for $10,000.00 Park West auctioning same piece for over $5000.00. I sold it privately to a collector for $3500.00. I can buy Dali works all day long between $149-$425 with all the documentation, COA's and even provenances and will see the same works on or off the cruise ship between $750-$5000.00 without proper COA documentation or provenances. MY Recommendation is just to Stay Away from Dali because the Artist-Dali was only driven by Money and really didn't care or keep accurate records of how much of his works was actually published. This is a known fact and any Dali research book will tell you this fact.

I have read the response to my report originally submitted. This piece DID NOT go through the auction process. It was purchased on the ship as one of the display pieces. The reason the piece was purchased was for it's " below market value " as quoted to me by Park West's representative. This representative seemed very knowledgeable in the works of Dali and convinced us we were paying below market value. Should I have done investigation on his piece before I purchased it. Probably yes. This is difficult to do considering you are in the middle of the ocean. Since the time of submiting, my original report I have not been able to come to any agreement with Park West Gallery. They stand by there policy that all sales are final.

My wife and I have purchased well over 10 different pieces of artwork & cartoon cels from Park West and have not been cheated to date. We have done this on 3 different cruises and have bought Peter Max's Thomas Kincaid's and Warner Brothers & Hanna Barbera cartoon cels and sports memorabilia and got a great price on all. As with ANY auction there is the "Sellers Commision" which for Park West is 15%. Southeby's I believe charges a 20% commision so 15% is a fair rate. Also with art auctions some items come framed but most don't and if you are unsure as to what is and isn't sold framed one of course should ask. The ONLY thing that will prevent further Park West purchases for us is the fact that sadly our smallish house has no more wall space to hang anything additional up.

I understand why this fellow might wrongly assume that he was misled. He obviously did not do his research BEFORE purchasing his art. Park West conducts AUCTIONS to sell their art to the highest bidder which means that you might pay more than the minimum acceptable price. I have been to a few of their auctions and have happily bought many wonderful pieces ranging from $50 - $19000. The appraised value is what the art is reasonably worth. The price someone pays for it does not necessarily correspond. For example, I would pay ten thousand dollars for an original triple signed dali but I would not pay that for a Thomas Kinkaid. So the value of a piece is what a reasonably educated consumer is willing to pay for it, not necessarily the price an appraiser places on it. This fellow bought a lithograph obviously which accounts for the other copies. He did NOT buy an original which would have cost him ten times the amount he paid. His lithograph was made from plates that were made from the original work. Besides, even with 300 copies of a Dali signed only in the block, Mark's artwork is still a rare and valuable piece worth considerable attention, appreciation and money. His error of not knowing true art and its value is in no way the responsibility of Park West. At every auction, the items are displayed, explained and opened for bidding. Consumers are not only encouraged to ask questions, but are expected to. The people I have encountered at Park West Auctions at sea were thrilled to have someone show an interest in learning about art. They love to educate consumers. If they didn't, then they would not be working for Park West. As for Mark's other quotes from rival art dealers, of course they will try to discredit Park West to gain market share and consumer confidence. This in no way validates Mark's complaint. Comparing two pieces of art is like trying to compare two used cars. Even if the cars are the same make, model and year, their value varies considerably with multiple factors affecting the price. The same variables apply to artwork such as the condition of the piece, where the piece is signed, Framing, Provenance, etc. Another point, Mark is comparing his FINAL price from Park West to the other galleries' buy price which does not include their framing, shipping, tax or buyer's fee. This alone counts for most of his "cost difference". Perhaps Mark should spend some time researching the piece and the history behind it to gain an appreciation for the artwork he bought. If he truly only buys art for an investment, he will NEVER be satisfied. I have always been treated with respect and utmost courtesy by Park West and will continue to buy amazing art at extremly low prices from them. It is not their fault that Mark did not ask enough questions or that Mark wants to blame Park West for his mistake. If Park West is such a derogatory company, then why are there so many happy and satisfied art owners out there who continue to be patrons of this reputable and consumer friendly organization?