Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/438368
163 going for $1,200, and you can now buy a whole set of dining chairs for the price of what an individual chair used to cost." Riva maintains a design blog on the Kaminski website in which she recently compared furnishings of - fered for sale by a national chain to objects that Kaminski had recently sold at auction. A tufted leather Chesterfield sofa comparable to a $4,000 national chain's model sold for $1,500; a curvaceous iron and crystal French chandelier was auctioned off for $300, while the chain sells a decidedly less beauti - ful version for $1,700. The departments that are growing these days, Riva says, are selling mid-century modern and Asian objects. "There is a huge market in China for antiques," she says. "They have a big, growing economy with an emerging mid - dle class that wants things that were banished during the Cultural Revolution. A lot of Chinese art and ceramics started coming to this part of Massachusetts 300 years ago; in China today, they are trying to buy it back." She adds that Kaminski also specializes in the work of North Shore artists. "We have always dealt in area art. A lot of people have found pieces at our auctions and become collectors." Riva dispels some of the myths that have sprung up around auc - tions. Auctioneers speak slowly and clearly, she says, explaining that incomprehensible rapid-fire chanting happens at cattle auc - tions, not at antiques auctions. Mistakenly bidding with random hand movements only happens in Marx Brothers movies, since all bidders must register before the event. "The auctioneer makes eye contact with bidders; com - munication is very clear. And for anyone who comes for the first time, we will walk them through the process." She points out that auction sales are final, making it espe - cially important to study desired objects with care during the pre- auction preview period. Custom- ers bidding via phone or Internet should request a condition report. "Once the hammer comes down, it's yours," she says. Kaminski will soon begin of - fering informational seminars to would-be auction attendees, and the company gives free appraisals at its Elliott Street facility between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. every Tuesday. Experts also appraise items via emailed images. Everything the company sells is on consignment; the percentage it takes varies with the piece. Objects taken for auc - tion by Kaminski must be valued at $300 or more. "We want to urge people to come to auctions," Riva says. "You learn so much about the decora - tive arts, and the experience itself is so much fun, even if you never bid on a thing." Opposite page, Diane Riva and the Beverly offi es; This page, auction items from around the world