Let’s say you want to class up your apartment while saving on entrance fees to museums, so you decide to fill the walls of your home with a Rembrandt, Picasso or Monet. Or maybe your watch isn’t keeping good time and it’s time to upgrade to a Rolex, Cartier or a Patek Philippe. Maybe your Uber rating fell below 4.7 and it’s time for that midlife crisis to kick in, so you’re starting to itch for that Ferrari.
Sure, you could call an art dealer or go to a gallery to pick up your etching. You could get the watch of your dreams on Fifth Avenue. And there are dealerships specifically designed to sell cars.
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But, why? Why, when you can go to a mega one-stop-shop like a divorce settlement auction which claims to have all of the items above in its “Exceptional Wealth Collection” … where the most telling item listed is a “Brainwash.” Nothing like a clean brain.
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Well, one reason is that you’re not that gullible and this is likely a scam. It just doesn’t seem like a sign temporarily attached to a light post near Zabar’s is the place to start a search for a Warhol. A Banksy, maybe.
READ MORE: Largest Picasso in US is on the Upper West Side
Signs went up in the neighborhood last week touting this “auction” with a number to reserve (what exactly you’re reserving isn’t clear). A call to the reservation line went to a recording; our voicemail was not returned.
These signs have been popping up all around the city and the country in places including Washington, D.C., St. Louis and San Diego. Yup, from sea to shining sea. America. America. G-d shed his grace on thee.
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Reddit user “Slur Real” did a pretty good job in summing it up.
Several Reddit users say the auctions themselves are real, but the products, not so much.
Apparently, VIP seating costs $65, but you get a $500 auction credit. So, you might just end up $435 closer to owning that Chagall.
Thanks for looking into this! It sounded shady.
These signs are illegally attached to city owned poles. Please feel free to tear them down.
I saw it in Queens propped up against a store window