Shag original painting newbie needing help...

Hi there,

I'm new to Shag and the Tiki scene but first and foremost, I love what I see so far and have become quite a fan of Shag. I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford his original paintings and was wondering if you (the community) had any advice on selecting a piece. A couple of questions:

• Is now a good time to buy or has he become so popular that prices are outrageous?
• I'm interested in larger pieces (bigger than 20" x 20")...what would you say the average price is for these pieces?
• What's the best way to purchase them? I saw a few on eBay but it looks like they have high reserve prices.
• Are Shag paintings considered "investment" pieces? This is more of an afterthought, but it would be nice if I didn't lose a lot of money down the road if something happened and I had to sell it.
• Any other tips would be appreciated

anybody?

sorry, I think I posted in the wrong section:

Hi there,

I'm new to Shag and the Tiki scene but first and foremost, I love what I see so far and have become quite a fan of Shag. I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford his original paintings and was wondering if you (the community) had any advice on selecting a piece. A couple of questions:

• Is now a good time to buy or has he become so popular that prices are outrageous?
• I'm interested in larger pieces (bigger than 20" x 20")...what would you say the average price is for these pieces?
• What's the best way to purchase them? I saw a few on eBay but it looks like they have high reserve prices.
• Are Shag paintings considered "investment" pieces? This is more of an afterthought, but it would be nice if I didn't lose a lot of money down the road if something happened and I had to sell it.
• Any other tips would be appreciated

..welcome aboard!!!

my advice is buy art cause you really like it....buying art as an investment is usually a bad idea....that it ends up being worth something down the road is a bonus......you're better off playing the stock market. the time to buy shag was about 10 or so years ago when his work was going for under $1000 or so...that ship has long since set sail.....but again, if you love his work and can afford him now, then i say damn the torpedos and go out there and get yourself one!!

thanks! yeah I really like his style and work so it's definately out of love rather than profit. i was just curious as to the general market conditions as i think i found one but it's a bit pricey ($5k)...I guess as this is my first time buying an original work I'm just paranoid that if things go south on the financial side and I have to sell I'd take a bath. it sounds like it'll at least retain its value. thanks again for the tip!

If you really love Shag and have the money to buy one of his originals, then you should buy a painting that you really like. But if you are speculating that one of his works will go up in value, then you are taking some pretty significant risks.

While I am certainly not an expert in purchasing original artworks, I would think the best way to buy one of his originals is to find out when he is showing his paintings at a gallery, then go check them out. You can find out when he is showing by checking out Shag's events page here. You can also check the websites of galleries that are having/have had showings of Shag's works. Outre Gallery often has good stuff to sell.

I remember asking about one of his paintings at a gallery some years back and, if memory serves me correct, it was around $6,000. I would think that since he is an established artist, his works would start at least around $5,000 then go up from there.

Who knows if Polynesian Pop and mid-20th Century design will be the rage in ten or twenty years. If that is the case, interest in Shag's works could diminish. But since Shag is an established artist, his paintings will probably have some value.

You may want to consider other artists as well. A lot of people like Derek Yaniger's stuff (although I have only seen serigraphs and prints of his stuff). And you want Shag decor, you may also want to consider limited edition, signed serigraphs as a less expensive alternative.

One final thing. If I were to buy a Shag painting on Ebay or thru some simiar method, I would insist on getting a certificate of authenticity. Shag's style is recognizable and I have seen a lot of copycats out there. If you are going to shell out $10,000 to $15,000, you want to make sure you are getting the real McCoy. Good luck!

The Tikipedia
www.tikipedia.com

[ Edited by: tikipedia 2006-11-01 21:20 ]

wow, that's great advice! i agree that to speculate would be a bad decision. does he sell his artwork at a discount at the shows? for example, I noticed that at one gallery a lot were listed at $7,500 each (all sold of course). Are these prices the same prices during the show itself? i'll check out his page in the meantime.

Hi artoo-

go to http://www.shagmart.com and register to receive e-mails. They will keep you posted about Shag's art shows. That's where you will get a decent deal on his original art. They don't come up too often, and when they do, they sell right away, so ya gotta act fast when his shows open! They ARE expensive, but if you really want an original, and you have the means, then his art exibitions are the best way to go.

Hope this helps!

thanks that does!

just out of curiousity, why aren't more people responding to this post? i guess it's because i come across as doing this for the money only...which is not the case. i just don't want to get ripped off right now. i guess i'ts about supply/demand tho.

As stated above, buy art because you love it...We have amassed a large art collection over the years including 4 Shag originals among others. These were all purchased for love of the art, we have no plans of ever selling any of our peices. The fact that lowbrow/tiki art is desirable right now and that they have appreciated so much is just a bonus. If you are looking for an investment, there are easier ways to get rich.

$5 - 20 grand is a lot of money for a painting, but if you can afford it and enjoy it everyday, it works out to less than a buck a day over a 20 or 30 year period. If you can afford it go for it.

Shag has continued to grow in popularity, he has exhibited all over the world and there have been numerous books released featuring his artwork. He continues to sell out his gallery shows. His art will likely always hold value, but whether it continues on the current trend, who can say.

If you are looking to purchase an original, I recommend you contact the gallerys at which he shows, (he has regular shows at La luz, outre, mmodern....) ask to be placed on the wait list for originals (often a 2 year wait), the gallery curators may also know collectors who may be willing to sell there originals and will broker the deal.

I passed up numerous opportunities to purchase originals by Shag and other artists, waiting for the "right one". Again, buy one you love, not just any painting because it is a "Shag".

Ebay also frequently has originals for sale, make sure you get the history of the painting to verify authenticity before forking over the dough.

Bottom line is if you are looking to buy a Shag, you might find a seller on e-bay and get a deal for around 5 grand. For the size you are looking for in a gallery you are looking at 8 grand or higher, larger paintnigs now approach 20 grand.

And the days of commissioning from Shag are long gone, just need to get in line with everybody else.

Hope this helps and good luck,

-S

On 2006-11-02 09:26, artroodeetoo wrote:
just out of curiosity, why aren't more people responding to this post?

Because the reply won't sound helpful?: Buy what you love and pay what you're willing to pay.

got it thanks!

Let us know how it goes and, if you get one, please post some pictures. Good luck ! When people support the arts, we all win.

On 2006-11-02 10:02, sirginn wrote:
If you are looking to purchase an original, I recommend you contact the gallerys at which he shows, (he has regular shows at La luz, outre, mmodern....) ask to be placed on the wait list for originals (often a 2 year wait), the gallery curators may also know collectors who may be willing to sell there originals and will broker the deal.

Outre is near me in Sydney, nothing but positive feedback from me when I have dealt with them. They recently had a Shag exhibition, and to buy an original its contact them and discuss it (they probably get a lot of dreamers who have done no research into how much it costs), then jump in the line and wait to be offered stuff.

As everyone has said, buy what you like - it should really resonate with you and have a personal meaning, its shouldnt be a financial investment.

One thing to consider, have a look around at all the other tiki/lowbrow artists out there - you could probably get a lot of stuff for the same price as a Shag original. But, if you love Shag - get a Shag.

You might have got more responses if this was in the "collecting tiki" area, possibly... Also the thread title "Shag original painting newbie needing help..." isnt clear, I got the impression you're trying to paint a shag copy. Maybe "Help - Would like some advice on buying an original Shag painting" would be a lot clearer.

Kustom Kahoona* - Tiki and Hot Rod Art by Hewey*

[ Edited by: hewey 2006-11-02 18:01 ]

got it, thanks for the advice...i'm fairly new to the community so wasn't sure on protocol. thanks again!

Two out of three original Shag paintings from the Tiki Art Now 3 show are still available at Roq La Rue in Seattle.

Unusual composition for Shag, check em out, along with the other neat stuff from the show.

-Randy

On 2006-11-02 09:26, artroodeetoo wrote:
just out of curiosity, why aren't more people responding to this post?

I'm sure there must be a ton of reasons why.

TC is a huuuuuuuuuge group of people. One would automatically think that means that more people would mean a bigger response. Not so, I've found. At just over 100 post, I myself am still new here and in a similar boat when I post.

Perhaps it's an investment issue, meaning I believe most TC Ohana need to "get to know" me. Once I've posted more, they'll reply more (seems to be the case). This is your first thread, after all. Give 'em a chance to warm up to you. :)

I'd be pleased to have gotten these quality responses so far.

[oh, great Gooogly Mooogly! I hope I don't derail your thread....]

On 2006-11-05 11:10, aquarj wrote:
Two out of three original Shag paintings from the Tiki Art Now 3 show are still available at Roq La Rue in Seattle.

Unusual composition for Shag, check em out, along with the other neat stuff from the show.

-Randy

Hey Randy, I actually bought the purple one on Saturday...love it!

A-ha! Make that one out of three still remaining!

Enjoy the painting - looks great.

-Randy

I'm so jealous you got an original!! I got a print as part of my graduation gift when i graduated high school 1 & 1/2 years ago, I think I would flip if I ever got an original Shag piece..he's my favorite artist

[ Edited by: hala_kahiki 2006-11-08 14:14 ]