paul rice at adam partridge auctions

Interesting sale. Very surprised with some of the items given stand alone space, as has been commented on previously.
He was a lucky boy with some prices realised on certain pieces.

Just seen in a FB group that there were some keen American bidders; the association with Rice's name added extra weight it would seem. Although, tbh, I’d never heard of him before this auction.

I know that he had a number of American buyers in the past, as some of them found me too. However, the ones that I know have either died or stopped buying pots, with the exception of a couple who are still buying. One did discuss the auction with me a few weeks ago and said that he would be bidding. Maybe him having supplied important American studio pottery collectors in the past holds sway in the States.

NaomiM wrote:Just seen in a FB group that there were some keen American bidders; the association with Rice's name added extra weight it would seem. Although, tbh, I’d never heard of him before this auction.

I hadn't heard of him until I enquired about a piece he was selling on eBay, going back eight or nine years ago.
I wanted more pictures, but he seemed to believe his name did away with any need to satisfy my concerns. Suffice to say I did not return.

abstract*toad wrote:

NaomiM wrote:Just seen in a FB group that there were some keen American bidders; the association with Rice's name added extra weight it would seem. Although, tbh, I’d never heard of him before this auction.

I hadn't heard of him until I enquired about a piece he was selling on eBay, going back eight or nine years ago.
I wanted more pictures, but he seemed to believe his name did away with any need to satisfy my concerns. Suffice to say I did not return.

Now you mention it I came across the same seller and had the same experience. I dont think I bothered buying anything off him either. There are a couple of sellers like that on there now; I wonder if he's one of them.

Lol - I once emailed him about a Kenneth Clark piece he had for sale on ebay ......

Hahaha, why am I not surprised by that Naomi.
He's probably lost a few customers down the years. Maybe he has a different attitude to people now, I hope so.
I remember another chap who was trying to buy a couple of Moorcroft candlesticks from me. I think I had them on at around £90 buy it now. Salt glazed, signed by William, mint condition.
He wanted them cheaper and I said something along the lines that he was being rather tight.
He advised me that I was very rude and should treat potential buyers with more respect. He then went on to say that I would be surprised if I knew who he was and that he was on the antique roadshow.
After I'd yawned long and hard, I wished him farewell and added him to my long list of blocked buyers.

I once had a US buyer make a fuss and took ages to pay. When it came to leaving feedback I waited until he'd left feedback first, and then said 'getting money out of him was "like pulling teeth"'. He was not happy

that's lovely, poetic.

Speaking as a dealer, I think many dealers can be a pain in the a*se and some are as dodgy as hell (please include me in that, if you wish). However, auction houses, who have taken over the dealer's role to a greater degree in recent years have generally always been worse and remain so, from my personal experience.

I think there's good and bad (to varying degrees) right across the board, in my opinion.
Good and bad aren't the right words to be fair, too generalised, not fair to blanket categorize really.
For all the horror stories I could mention (from my eBay experience), there have been way more pleasant experiences / transactions and by and large I don't mind eBay.
It's a big old world and standards, expectations, ego's all vary from one to the next. For me personally, I don't like it when people set themselves above others, for whatever reasons, and I sometimes tend to let those folk know what I think, to varying degrees, rightly or wrongly.

I cannot comment on your good self studio (as a dealer), but I would say you come across as a gent from my experience with you on the forum. Always grateful for your input

Auction houses have changed considerably over the last 10 years. I'd be surprised if there are many left that aren't online.

Tbh, I dont really care what ebay sellers are like so long as they pack the item carefully. Far too many times I've recieved items in boxes that are barely big enough to fit them, and only by the luck of the Gods the item wasn't smashed in transit.

abstract*toad wrote:I think there's good and bad (to varying degrees) right across the board, in my opinion.
Good and bad aren't the right words to be fair, too generalised, not fair to blanket categorize really.
For all the horror stories I could mention (from my eBay experience), there have been way more pleasant experiences / transactions and by and large I don't mind eBay.
It's a big old world and standards, expectations, ego's all vary from one to the next. For me personally, I don't like it when people set themselves above others, for whatever reasons, and I sometimes tend to let those folk know what I think, to varying degrees, rightly or wrongly.

I cannot comment on your good self studio (as a dealer), but I would say you come across as a gent from my experience with you on the forum. Always grateful for your input

Auction houses have changed considerably over the last 10 years. I'd be surprised if there are many left that aren't online.

I have had a couple of rich customers actually trying it on with me face to face and suggesting that, as a dealer, I should be grateful for their custom and their pathetic offer. They don't do it because the price is too high, or because they can't afford it but because they want to feel superior. So it's just like your experience. They get the same answer from me and never darken my door again.

I just find it is really not worth the effort getting arsy with people on Ebay. There has always been a small proportion of nasties, but then so is there in normal life.