Bidding frenzy

in article snipped-for-privacy@all.com, nJb at snipped-for-privacy@all.com wrote on 3/11/04

Item: 3757371767 It's a fragment of "15th century" tracery, a bit of painted leaf. It's gone up to £230 with four hours to go! I must be in the wrong business.

It's no longer valid. Wha twas it?

Jack

The OP link was wrapped, common problem when posting long links. When unwrapped its still there.

nJb wrote:

I, for one, would certainly want some SERIOUS, PROVEN. DOCUMENTATION before bidding on it.

I have a few 100+ year old painted windows I am contemplating putting up for auction! h

in article snipped-for-privacy@enews2.newsguy.com, Javahut at snipped-for-privacy@nowhere.net wrote on 3/11/04 10:17 pm:

We'll all be roaming round the graveyards, looking up at the windows, wondering how to get the ladder into position, ready to skin off the lead and prize the pieces out, one by one, under cover of darkness. (Just sell the anonymous ones for now, keep the hands and faces back until the heat dies down. Perhaps release some drapery onto the market, pay off the mortgage, move to sunnier climes ...)

All in a dream.

Must be worth it to the fellows bidding on it, they seemed intent on getting it. I have seen a great many old tracery pieces, and that is nice, but I have no idea what makes it worth that kind of money other than an auction situation.

We'll keep it a secret, but you send me $150 ea. per 4x4 and I'll "find" as many as you can stand, and I'll change up their appearance so we don't run the market down, just a bit of tracery, little matt paint, pop a bit of silver stain on the back, fire a bit of metalizing in the stain and voila, instant "old", (You might look at that piece close too, looks like it may have been done with a brass stencil, alot were.)

If it's truly a 15th century piece of stained glass then no one here could make anything other than a copy. It's probably worth the amount being asked.

Andy

in article snipped-for-privacy@enews3.newsguy.com, Javahut at snipped-for-privacy@nowhere.net wrote on 3/11/04 11:45 pm:

It's an excellent plan, and I give it nine out of ten. There are one or two minor details to sort out, such as, for example, the direction of the cash flow, and a means of escape in the event of catastrophe.

How about this: you do the fiddly bits, the painting and the firing, and the ebay side of things, and I'll issue the certificates of authenticity. I'm sure I've got some crests knocking about somewhere.

luv hector

?? those are confusion marks, for a couple of reasons,

first, I figure if I am making them so cheap, and SELLING them to YOU. you can do with them as you please, the cash direction is this way, as in form you to me, I'll even supply the cert's, forgery is forgery, after all.

and what's with the "luv hector", I don't ,

in article snipped-for-privacy@enews2.newsguy.com, Javahut at snipped-for-privacy@nowhere.net wrote on 4/11/04 3:32 pm:

I'm testing a new signature.

BTW do you happen to have an opinion on brushes that don't involve animal hair? I wonder whether the animal itself contains some magical properties that can't be replicated artificially.

I'm testing a new signature.

My opinion of brushes is rather limited only because I really like the sable and camel hair brushes I have, (I can only assume the French "tips" I have are sable, don't know it for a fact)

I haven't tried any artificial hair brushes for paint work at all.

Sable , camel and English badger, which brings to mind, no shortage on those little devils is there, with my brush being 20 odd years old, just want to make sure I can get another if needed.

in article snipped-for-privacy@enews1.newsguy.com, Javahut at snipped-for-privacy@nowhere.net wrote on 4/11/04 10:18 pm:

Well said! They do say you become attached to your brushes. I currently own a nib. It seems to me that any old brush can be hacked into shape. The price of stain is less co-operative.

I'm divided between wanting to make the art and desiring to own it. And I am gathering together the skills to produce a virtuous object that will convert to cash on it's merits, without any undue influence from me on the customer, (namely ladder work and sample cases!).

You could argue there's a market for borders done as you suggested with stencil and possibly a roller. Probably boxes of corners would sell, as per glory stars. I haven't done the math(s) for your market but I know the UK scene is fairly cosy. We're all in it together really, although sometimes we turn and rend each other with our teeth, when overcrowding becomes an issue.

I have to say, that judging from the popularity of self-adhesive films, the UK market has an appetite for riotous colour in doors and windows. I think maybe they just need educating up a bit.

Cheers!

All depends on what you're using with them.

For shellac (bug juice in alcohol) the best brushes around are a synthetic called "Golden Taklon". You usually find these as artist's watercolour brushes.

Synthetic bristles are good for anything with a water base.

For oil-based resins though, natural bristles are still the way to go.

Hmmm, does any of this work with glass paint?

That is what the discussion was about, maybe somebody uses shellac with their glass paint, but I don't and the synthetics don't have the same "flow" as my sable brushes for the water/gum stainers colors. In fact, I like them even better with turp and alcohol too!

I don't use "oil base resins", at least I don't think I do, the glass stainers medium I get from Reusche is some kind of oil base, thins with clove oil, maybe lavender oil? Don't remember and the labels are old and faded....

The point is, that AFAIK there's a good connection between synthetic bristles for water-based media and natural bristles for oil media. Except that shellac (an alcohol solvent) seems to be bucking the trend and works best with synthetics.

Now I don't know much about glass, let alone glass paint, but the older recipes I've used for it have been spirit varnishes (plant resins in alcohol) and these also work well with the taklon bristles.

Or a few minutes to examine it. It's not hard to date such glass as being pre-Victorian, and if it's older than that, chances are very good that's it's pre-17th century at least.

Over eBay though..... You're taking a real flyer.