A few years ago when Andrew Omenda Were a.k.a Madolla was asked by a traffic police officer to travel with him to Malindi to go and make paintings for the officer’s bar in Malindi, little did he know that a window of vast opportunity was about to open for him.The painter says he made very impressive artwork of different wildlife species on the walls of the bar, which aroused the interest of tourists who visited the pub.
“Tourists liked my paintings of wildlife which they said were lifelike and quite attractive. From there my artwork opened more opportunities in Malindi and I had to stay longer than I had initially planned,” says the painter.He says after completing the artwork at the pub some tourists asked him to make oil paintings for them largely on wildlife and landscapes.
“I was very lucky because at that time another Italian investor by the name Angelo who loved my artwork very much gave me free art materials, including oil paints, solvents and canvas,” recalls Madolla exuberantly. “I set out to make canvas paintings of different wildlife species especially the big five — lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and elephant. In total I made 25 canvas paintings.”
Hopper was born in Nyack, New York to a strict Baptist family. He is said to have developed a talent in drawing at the age of five, as well as a love of French and Russian culture. Encouraged by his parents, the young artist explored the media of pen-and-ink, charcoal, watercolor and oil, depicting scenes of nature as well as creating his own humorous political cartoons. Around the age of 18, he moved from his conservative home on the Hudson River to study at the New York Institute of Art Design, where he began working with live models and painting in the style of Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas.
In 1905, Hopper began working for an advertising agency to earn money, designing magazine covers despite his dislike for illustrations. It was during this time that he was able to travel to Europe to study artists like Rembrandt and the Impressionists. Briefly inspired by the soft palettes of the French painters, Hopper eventually settled into the dark color scheme he would become known for, painting urban scenes of street crowds and cafes through his signature shadowy lens. After returning from abroad, Hopper reluctantly continued to work in illustrations, and it wasn't until 1913 that he was able to sell his first painting, "Sailing," at the Armory Show in New York.
Hopper turned to etching urban scenes of Paris and New York while living in Greenwich Village. In 1923, he met his future wife, Josephine Nivison, the woman who would serve as his manager, oil painting reproduction, and lifelong partner. From there, his career began to rise, showing newly created oil paintings and prints throughout New York.
After a brief period of inactivity during the late 1940s, Hopper continued to create works throughout the next two decades, focusing on quintessential American themes like gas stations, motels, railroads and restaurants. Hopper lived through a series of artistic movements in the United States, but his style remained consistent, incorporating saturated colors and heightened contrasts to create dark, cinematic moods straight out of film noir. It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that Alfred Hitchcock and Sam Mendes frequently cited him as an influence.
On May 15th, 1967, Hopper passed away in his studio near Washington Square in New York City, shortly followed by his devoted wife ten months later. His body of work was donated to the Whitney Museum of American Art, with some famous pieces finding permanent homes in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, The Des Moines Art Center, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Works by Picasso, Monet, Matisse, Gauguin and Lucian Freud were stolen from Rotterdam's Kunsthal gallery in 2012. Three Romanian suspects were arrested in January, but the paintings have not been found. Instead, one of the suspect’s mothers told the police that she had burned the stolen works in a wood-burning stove in an attempt to free her son from prosecution due to lack of evidence.
These works, which include Waterloo Bridge, London, painted by Monet in 1901, are now among hundreds of valuable missing paintings. Once a painting has been stolen, it can stay underground or undiscovered for years or even decades, making the crime even harder to solve, as leads become less tangible and ownership is passed down through generations.
While she won't name many of her clients, Ray does reveal that DJ Bruno Brookes and chef Marco Pierre White rank among them. She was once commissioned to do a copy of Van Gogh's Vase with Gladioli for Dame Edna Everage. Gladioli-accessorising miserabilist Morrissey would probably like a copy of that, too, but he's out of luck: Ray doesn't do duplicates, as a matter of principle.
But isn't this forgery? Isn't Ray's whole oeuvre that of a cynical charlatan? "I'm not a forger," she says, arguing that she's different from, say, the notorious cockney forger Tom Keating, who avoided jail even after admitting to painting 2,000 fakes of old masters. On the back of each copy, Ray signs her name. Real forgers don't do that. That said, she tells me some of her clients have passed off her copies as the real thing, if not to make money then to show off to dinner guests. One household name (whose identity I can't reveal) loves to boast about his Claude Monet – when it's really his Susie Ray. But isn't Ray facilitating such grubby behaviour? "A lot of famous people pass off my copies as original," she says. "That's up to them."
You could have been a lot richer, I add, had you followed Keating's path. "In jail more likely," she retorts. "Tom Keating wasn't a very good forger. The only reason he got away with it is that he was copying in an era when the reproductions weren't very good. People didn't know how unlike the originals his versions were. I don't have that luxury."
I've spent two hours trying to replicate Manet's Asparagus, the simplest impressionist masterpiece Ray could find for me to copy. The original, in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, is a cute art-world joke: in 1880, Manet sold collector Charles Ephrussi A Bunch of Asparagus for 800 francs. Ephrussi sent him 1,000 francs, so Manet painted this extra stalk and sent it off with a note: "There was one missing from your bunch."
My shambles contrasts sharply with the technical mastery of the canvas hanging on the wall behind me: Ray's copy of a painting from Monet's series Cabane des douaniers, effet d'après-midi. "The title sounds better in French," she says. "Customs shack in the afternoon doesn't have quite the same ring." I wonder how much a Monet copy would shift for, but this customs shack's not for sale.
I'm working from three coloured prints Ray has sourced, each one tonally very different from the other, with one cropping out the asparagus altogether. Ray has done a rough sketch and helps me mix some paints. I've never painted in oils before and am on a steep learning curve, but what I'm mostly acquiring is a profound appreciation of Manet. Just look at the illusion of solidity he creates at one end of the spear with just two brushstrokes. Damn him. My version is hopeless. It's starting to look like a seagull.
Click on their website www.artsunlight.com.
2013年7月22日星期一
2013年6月16日星期日
During monsoons, keep policy papers handy
As monsoon picks up, be ready to drive through water-logged areas and mushy roads. Since motor accidents typically see a rise during rains, motor claims also move up. Hence, prepare your car to drive through mucky waters by buying the right covers and making sure you have a hassle-free claim.
Madhukar Sinha, national head, personal lines, Tata AIG General Insurance, says most car manufacturers offer free pre-monsoon car check-ups, which prepare your car better. "One should make sure cars undergo such check-ups and servicing regularly, so that the vehicle remains in good condition. We also advise one to be careful while starting the car after heavy rain or water-logging to avoid severe internal damages to the engine."
About 70 to 80 per cent of today's cars on roads are insured. Though most policies sold today are comprehensive, one has to buy add-on covers according to his or her needs.
C V Srinivasan, head-motor underwriting at Royal Sundaram, says one should have the monsoon-specific add-on covers as insurers refuse to pay for damages due to consequential loss, also called an indirect loss.
Insurers can refuse to pay claims if they find the reason for claims is that the car was not maintained well. For instance, they can refuse to pay claims if the car was found parked in submerged water for too long or if the car doesn't have safe parking space and so on. Similarly, they can refuse to honour claims if you have been driving through water-logged areas for a long time.
One should read carefully through the policy's fine print, as the insurer can have these things mentioned in the policy exclusions and have the right to refuse to pay.
For instance, if you try to start a parked vehicle which is submerged in water, it will be considered a consequential loss and not be payable under a standard motor policy. Such situations are best avoided and customers should immediately call for an insurance surveyor. A standard motor policy will only pay for direct damages such as an accident. Hence, it's important that you buy specific add-on covers to pay for such indirect damages.
Amitabh Jain, head-customer service at ICICI Lombard, says: "This add-on cover is of immense help in the rains, because in case of engine damage due to water ingression, a hydrostatic cover comes handy. To buy this, one will have to shell out 0.5 to two per cent of the insured declared value (IDV) of the car." In other words, if a car's IDV is Rs 5 lakh, one will have to spend Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000 to add this cover to the policy.
The under-body of the cars carries the highest risk of getting affected during rains. Also, minor dents and scratches can get rusted during monsoon. Car parts that get affected in the rains might not get fully covered as metal and plastic parts attract depreciation. All plastic auto parts attract a flat 50 per cent depreciation, irrespective of the car's age, whereas parts made of fibre attract 30 per cent depreciation. Metal parts like the bonnet and engine are depreciated depending on the age of the vehicle. For instance, the electronic control module, a system in cars that controls other electrical systems, is most likely to be damaged during the monsoons and also attracts 50 per cent depreciation, says Amarnath Ananthanarayanan, managing director and chief executive officer at Bharti AXA General Insurance.
Some insurers package this along with the policy, and some sell it as an add-on. "This add-on cover helps specifically during rains because if the car is stranded in a water-logged area, one can call for help which the insurers make sure reaches you within an hour if it's within the city," adds Sinha of Tata AIG. The cost of this add-on cover is also in the range of 0.5 to two per cent of the car's IDV.
Nikunj Sanghi, president of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association, says one should get an anti-rust treatment and an under-body coat for his or her car just before the monsoons come in. This will cost about Rs 4,000 to 8,000 each, depending on the car's model.
Legislature Minority Leader Dennis F. Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls, acknowledged that the resolution calling for a new request for proposals, or RFP, is too late for this year. But he said he’ll reintroduce his measure early in the new year “just to see if we can get it cheaper. It’s a good practice, too. … Jan. 1; it’ll come up again.”
“It should be entertained at the appropriate time,” said Majority Leader Richard E. Updegrove, R-Lockport. “There’s no opposition to going out for an RFP, at least that I’m aware of.”
Ulrich was unhappy to hear that. “We will be looking for a new tenant, and this will most likely end up costing them a lot more money,” he said in an email to The Buffalo News.
“They can obviously do whatever they want but it does send a strong message that after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to accommodate their needs, and further diminishing the value of my property by donating to them for free the land to build their communications tower, and even providing free parking to county employees at buildings they lease from someone else, that they feel the need to try and wipe out these past good deeds. We try very hard to be a great landlord and to go above and beyond to provide great value and it is very discouraging to me.”
Cheney suggested the United States missed its opportunity, and was unsure if al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons justified U.S. involvement if the deaths of 93,000 people already killed in the conflict did not justify it.
“I don’t think it’s been well handled,” Cheney said. “I will be the first to admit it’s a complex, difficult situation. I frankly think John McCain has it just about right. John and I don’t always agree on everything. We have had our debates over the years but I think John has pretty well nailed it. Now we are to the point where it’s hard to understand that it’s the use of chemical weapons that triggered this result. As John said the other day, well, there were 93,000 people killed not affected by chemical weapons. Where was the concern then? It’s not clear to me what the mission is here, or they understand the mission.”
“Is it strictly humanitarian?” he continued. “Is it geo-strategic? Does the United States have a vested interest in the outcome? Are we potentially involved in some kind of proxy war with the Soviets or the Russians, excuse me, who are supporting Assad? I think it is important that Assad go down. I think — my instinct would have been to support the opposition sooner. You had an opportunity, if you cared about it, if it was in fact in the national interest. You had an opportunity earlier to provide support without having to get American forces directly involved and they took a pass. Now they are going to do it. But the question is whether or not they are a day late and a dollar short.”Click on their website www.artsunlight.com for more information.
Madhukar Sinha, national head, personal lines, Tata AIG General Insurance, says most car manufacturers offer free pre-monsoon car check-ups, which prepare your car better. "One should make sure cars undergo such check-ups and servicing regularly, so that the vehicle remains in good condition. We also advise one to be careful while starting the car after heavy rain or water-logging to avoid severe internal damages to the engine."
About 70 to 80 per cent of today's cars on roads are insured. Though most policies sold today are comprehensive, one has to buy add-on covers according to his or her needs.
C V Srinivasan, head-motor underwriting at Royal Sundaram, says one should have the monsoon-specific add-on covers as insurers refuse to pay for damages due to consequential loss, also called an indirect loss.
Insurers can refuse to pay claims if they find the reason for claims is that the car was not maintained well. For instance, they can refuse to pay claims if the car was found parked in submerged water for too long or if the car doesn't have safe parking space and so on. Similarly, they can refuse to honour claims if you have been driving through water-logged areas for a long time.
One should read carefully through the policy's fine print, as the insurer can have these things mentioned in the policy exclusions and have the right to refuse to pay.
For instance, if you try to start a parked vehicle which is submerged in water, it will be considered a consequential loss and not be payable under a standard motor policy. Such situations are best avoided and customers should immediately call for an insurance surveyor. A standard motor policy will only pay for direct damages such as an accident. Hence, it's important that you buy specific add-on covers to pay for such indirect damages.
Amitabh Jain, head-customer service at ICICI Lombard, says: "This add-on cover is of immense help in the rains, because in case of engine damage due to water ingression, a hydrostatic cover comes handy. To buy this, one will have to shell out 0.5 to two per cent of the insured declared value (IDV) of the car." In other words, if a car's IDV is Rs 5 lakh, one will have to spend Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000 to add this cover to the policy.
The under-body of the cars carries the highest risk of getting affected during rains. Also, minor dents and scratches can get rusted during monsoon. Car parts that get affected in the rains might not get fully covered as metal and plastic parts attract depreciation. All plastic auto parts attract a flat 50 per cent depreciation, irrespective of the car's age, whereas parts made of fibre attract 30 per cent depreciation. Metal parts like the bonnet and engine are depreciated depending on the age of the vehicle. For instance, the electronic control module, a system in cars that controls other electrical systems, is most likely to be damaged during the monsoons and also attracts 50 per cent depreciation, says Amarnath Ananthanarayanan, managing director and chief executive officer at Bharti AXA General Insurance.
Some insurers package this along with the policy, and some sell it as an add-on. "This add-on cover helps specifically during rains because if the car is stranded in a water-logged area, one can call for help which the insurers make sure reaches you within an hour if it's within the city," adds Sinha of Tata AIG. The cost of this add-on cover is also in the range of 0.5 to two per cent of the car's IDV.
Nikunj Sanghi, president of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association, says one should get an anti-rust treatment and an under-body coat for his or her car just before the monsoons come in. This will cost about Rs 4,000 to 8,000 each, depending on the car's model.
Legislature Minority Leader Dennis F. Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls, acknowledged that the resolution calling for a new request for proposals, or RFP, is too late for this year. But he said he’ll reintroduce his measure early in the new year “just to see if we can get it cheaper. It’s a good practice, too. … Jan. 1; it’ll come up again.”
“It should be entertained at the appropriate time,” said Majority Leader Richard E. Updegrove, R-Lockport. “There’s no opposition to going out for an RFP, at least that I’m aware of.”
Ulrich was unhappy to hear that. “We will be looking for a new tenant, and this will most likely end up costing them a lot more money,” he said in an email to The Buffalo News.
“They can obviously do whatever they want but it does send a strong message that after spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to accommodate their needs, and further diminishing the value of my property by donating to them for free the land to build their communications tower, and even providing free parking to county employees at buildings they lease from someone else, that they feel the need to try and wipe out these past good deeds. We try very hard to be a great landlord and to go above and beyond to provide great value and it is very discouraging to me.”
Cheney suggested the United States missed its opportunity, and was unsure if al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons justified U.S. involvement if the deaths of 93,000 people already killed in the conflict did not justify it.
“I don’t think it’s been well handled,” Cheney said. “I will be the first to admit it’s a complex, difficult situation. I frankly think John McCain has it just about right. John and I don’t always agree on everything. We have had our debates over the years but I think John has pretty well nailed it. Now we are to the point where it’s hard to understand that it’s the use of chemical weapons that triggered this result. As John said the other day, well, there were 93,000 people killed not affected by chemical weapons. Where was the concern then? It’s not clear to me what the mission is here, or they understand the mission.”
“Is it strictly humanitarian?” he continued. “Is it geo-strategic? Does the United States have a vested interest in the outcome? Are we potentially involved in some kind of proxy war with the Soviets or the Russians, excuse me, who are supporting Assad? I think it is important that Assad go down. I think — my instinct would have been to support the opposition sooner. You had an opportunity, if you cared about it, if it was in fact in the national interest. You had an opportunity earlier to provide support without having to get American forces directly involved and they took a pass. Now they are going to do it. But the question is whether or not they are a day late and a dollar short.”Click on their website www.artsunlight.com for more information.
2013年5月19日星期日
Diebold to showcase emerging technology
As consumers continue to demand more from financial institutions than ever before—instantaneous service, enhanced convenience and more control of their money—Diebold, Incorporated, a global leader in providing integrated self-service solutions, is meeting these demands with emerging technology that is transforming the self-service channel and the way consumers bank.
Diebold will showcase its Millennial-inspired automated teller machine (ATM) concept and two-way video technology, Concierge Video Services at the 2013 Cards & Payments Middle East, the region's largest smart card, payments and ID card event, on May 14-15 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Dubai, UAE.
The Millennial-inspired ATM concept integrates mobile devices, allowing consumers to complete secure, card-less transactions. The ATM features a conceptual user interface that enables touch gestures, such as flick and drag which are commonly used with smart phones and tablet devices.
Card-less withdrawals and person-to-person payments are two possible transaction scenarios via the Millennial-inspired ATM concept. To complete a card-less withdrawal, preregistered bank customer could scan the ATM's QR code using their smart phones. When the devices sync, a transaction screen would appear on the smart phone and then the user could select a withdrawal amount. A one-time code would then be sent to the smart phone, which the customer enters on the ATM screen to authenticate the transaction and receives cash. In addition, pre-staging a transaction that authorizes access to cash by a third party would be another possible transaction scenario. The customer would simply input the payment amount and recipient's contact information, which could easily be selected directly from his or her phone's contact list. Then the recipient would receive a one-time code that could be used at an ATM or branch to oil painting reproduction.
Diebold will also showcase its Concierge Video Services, which enables users to connect face-to-face with the financial institution's customer service representatives via two-way video. During transactions, consumers have the option to initiate a video call to customer service representatives to complete activities that are not traditionally conducted at the ATM, such as account maintenance, new account setup and savings product renewals. This immediate access to support enriches consumers' ATM experiences and saves them time.
"Consumers demand speed and convenience, but also a more personalized banking experience. Bringing video support and other emerging technology to the ATM offers financial institutions the ability to enhance their self-service capabilities and improve user experiences," said Dave Wetzel, Diebold vice president and managing director, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "Diebold partners with financial institutions to deploy technology that meets consumers evolving demands and also the business priorities of the intuition."
In last week's On the Spot column, letter writer Nancy Jones said she was going to London and expressed concern about whether her credit cards would work because they are not Chip and PIN (personal identification number). She said she didn't want to carry a load of cash. What should she do? It turned out to be a more complicated answer than I expected, but I did find a card that I think will work.
The issue with many U.S. credit cards is that they use a magnetic stripe. In many parts of Europe, Asia and Latin America, the standard is a smart card or EMV, short for Europay, MasterCard and Visa. Many of those cards use a PIN.
U.S. cards are beginning to come with a smart chip, but they often are Chip and Signature cards — that is, instead of using a PIN, you sign your card slip and the signatures are compared. David Hogan, executive director with Heartland Payment Systems, one of the largest credit-card processors in the U.S., told me a prominent retailer told him, "'Dave, can't remember the last time we hired a handwriting expert.'"
Before you begin your quest for such a card, let me note that I've used my magnetic stripe card in Europe and Asia within the last year and had issues only once — at the unmanned London Tube kiosk at Paddington Station — and a request for a smart card with a PIN only once when I was making a purchase at a mobile phone store.
So before I made myself crazy, I decided to follow the advice of Seth Eisen, a vice president at MasterCard: He suggested checking your credit cards and calling to see whether they were smart cards.
The results: None of the cards I carry (American Express, Visa and MasterCard) has the chip. One card company told me it could give me a PIN but also said the card would act like a cash advance card, and I would start accruing big interest and transaction charges right away. That is not what I wanted.
Travelers who go abroad need to have alternatives — money tools, I call them — in case they get into a jam. Cash works (U.S. plus the small amount of foreign currency you'll change before you go); sometimes, traveler's checks work. Debit cards used in ATMs usually work, although you may incur foreign transaction fees. Magnetic stripe cards often work, but again, watch out for those fees. And sometimes a smart card with a PIN will work, but you can run into problems using it for online purchases.
As technology changes, this discussion may become moot. "Some places might skip the PIN-versus-Signature debate altogether," said Rick Clemmer, chief executive of NXP Semiconductors, whose chips are used in cards and passports. They'll go to a smartphone that uses NFC, or near field communications, and provides a "contactless" purchase experience.
Diebold will showcase its Millennial-inspired automated teller machine (ATM) concept and two-way video technology, Concierge Video Services at the 2013 Cards & Payments Middle East, the region's largest smart card, payments and ID card event, on May 14-15 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Dubai, UAE.
The Millennial-inspired ATM concept integrates mobile devices, allowing consumers to complete secure, card-less transactions. The ATM features a conceptual user interface that enables touch gestures, such as flick and drag which are commonly used with smart phones and tablet devices.
Card-less withdrawals and person-to-person payments are two possible transaction scenarios via the Millennial-inspired ATM concept. To complete a card-less withdrawal, preregistered bank customer could scan the ATM's QR code using their smart phones. When the devices sync, a transaction screen would appear on the smart phone and then the user could select a withdrawal amount. A one-time code would then be sent to the smart phone, which the customer enters on the ATM screen to authenticate the transaction and receives cash. In addition, pre-staging a transaction that authorizes access to cash by a third party would be another possible transaction scenario. The customer would simply input the payment amount and recipient's contact information, which could easily be selected directly from his or her phone's contact list. Then the recipient would receive a one-time code that could be used at an ATM or branch to oil painting reproduction.
Diebold will also showcase its Concierge Video Services, which enables users to connect face-to-face with the financial institution's customer service representatives via two-way video. During transactions, consumers have the option to initiate a video call to customer service representatives to complete activities that are not traditionally conducted at the ATM, such as account maintenance, new account setup and savings product renewals. This immediate access to support enriches consumers' ATM experiences and saves them time.
"Consumers demand speed and convenience, but also a more personalized banking experience. Bringing video support and other emerging technology to the ATM offers financial institutions the ability to enhance their self-service capabilities and improve user experiences," said Dave Wetzel, Diebold vice president and managing director, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "Diebold partners with financial institutions to deploy technology that meets consumers evolving demands and also the business priorities of the intuition."
In last week's On the Spot column, letter writer Nancy Jones said she was going to London and expressed concern about whether her credit cards would work because they are not Chip and PIN (personal identification number). She said she didn't want to carry a load of cash. What should she do? It turned out to be a more complicated answer than I expected, but I did find a card that I think will work.
The issue with many U.S. credit cards is that they use a magnetic stripe. In many parts of Europe, Asia and Latin America, the standard is a smart card or EMV, short for Europay, MasterCard and Visa. Many of those cards use a PIN.
U.S. cards are beginning to come with a smart chip, but they often are Chip and Signature cards — that is, instead of using a PIN, you sign your card slip and the signatures are compared. David Hogan, executive director with Heartland Payment Systems, one of the largest credit-card processors in the U.S., told me a prominent retailer told him, "'Dave, can't remember the last time we hired a handwriting expert.'"
Before you begin your quest for such a card, let me note that I've used my magnetic stripe card in Europe and Asia within the last year and had issues only once — at the unmanned London Tube kiosk at Paddington Station — and a request for a smart card with a PIN only once when I was making a purchase at a mobile phone store.
So before I made myself crazy, I decided to follow the advice of Seth Eisen, a vice president at MasterCard: He suggested checking your credit cards and calling to see whether they were smart cards.
The results: None of the cards I carry (American Express, Visa and MasterCard) has the chip. One card company told me it could give me a PIN but also said the card would act like a cash advance card, and I would start accruing big interest and transaction charges right away. That is not what I wanted.
Travelers who go abroad need to have alternatives — money tools, I call them — in case they get into a jam. Cash works (U.S. plus the small amount of foreign currency you'll change before you go); sometimes, traveler's checks work. Debit cards used in ATMs usually work, although you may incur foreign transaction fees. Magnetic stripe cards often work, but again, watch out for those fees. And sometimes a smart card with a PIN will work, but you can run into problems using it for online purchases.
As technology changes, this discussion may become moot. "Some places might skip the PIN-versus-Signature debate altogether," said Rick Clemmer, chief executive of NXP Semiconductors, whose chips are used in cards and passports. They'll go to a smartphone that uses NFC, or near field communications, and provides a "contactless" purchase experience.
2011年8月25日星期四
Redesigned estate sales firm thriving
Hundreds of customers traipse through an immaculately clean condominium in Bloomfield Hills, carrying lamps, oil paintings for sale, cosmetics and sofas. Mark Blondy happily rings up another sale for the Commerce Township-based Americana Estate Sales Inc.
"It's like a high-grade circus: The tent goes up, the people come and make up stories about the occupants and walk out with its contents," said Blondy, 50. "They go home and you move the show to another location."
Americana Estate Sales expects to improve its sales this year to almost $100,000 or more after a lackluster 2010 provided a wake-up call to redesign his business that coordinates the sale of white elephants.
"I'll admit, 2010 was a bad year, but it took me out of complacency," said Blondy, who formed an estate business in 1996. He redoubled his efforts with the help of Patty Livernois, the ex-owner of Uppity Puppy, a Royal Oak dog boutique, who knew retailing and web design.
Together they built a following of 10,000 contacts. They also identified a moving company that would help their clients who purchased furniture too big to transport by car.
But nothing did more good for Blondy than taking courses in effective communication from Landmark Education in Livonia, he said.
"I thought it was my job to tell clients what they needed to do to sell their possessions, and it wasn't working. What I found was that listening to them mattered. Let them tell me more about the occupants of the house, what possessions were most sacred and how they wanted leftover items sold on consignment or donated," Blondy said. "Make sure you hear what they say and repeat it back so you don't override expectations."
Improving communications in person and online helps him get referral business among people in transition — death in a family, moving out of town or just downsizing. At the average house, it takes two weeks to organize, sort, price, display, market to customers, sell items and clean up.
Blondy coordinates two and sometimes three sales a week with seven part-time people, including two professional belly dancers. The average event lasts two days and brings $5,000 to $10,000 cash to the client. Americana takes an average of 25 to 35 percent.
Brian Crilley, the son of Shirley Crilley, owner of the Bloomfield Hills home where a recent sale occurred, said it wasn't easy to let go of the stuff he had grown up with and watch strangers march out with it.
Metro Detroit continues to be a national leader in estate sales, one expert said.
"Detroit is the second-largest market in the country behind Chicago for estate sales. You'll find an average of 25 to 30 sales per week," said Dan McQuade, co-owner of Vintage Software LLC, a Missouri company that powers EstateSales.net and makes money from companies that advertise their estate sales on his server.
"The economy is down and people want bargains."
The popular company sends 150,000 customized emails a week on sales occurring around the nation and provides a Web search option to locate specific collectibles.
Blondy expects to expand business next year by creating a training academy for estate sale workers and an association of estate sale operators. He is formulating a code of ethics and a board of directors and writing a training manual.
"Antique dealers and estate sale operators aren't certified like home appraisers. We want to provide a means of overall support through accreditation, ethical standards, education and other resources," said Blondy, who has conducted more than 500 sales in his 15-year tenure. "Our experience makes the difference."
"It's like a high-grade circus: The tent goes up, the people come and make up stories about the occupants and walk out with its contents," said Blondy, 50. "They go home and you move the show to another location."
Americana Estate Sales expects to improve its sales this year to almost $100,000 or more after a lackluster 2010 provided a wake-up call to redesign his business that coordinates the sale of white elephants.
"I'll admit, 2010 was a bad year, but it took me out of complacency," said Blondy, who formed an estate business in 1996. He redoubled his efforts with the help of Patty Livernois, the ex-owner of Uppity Puppy, a Royal Oak dog boutique, who knew retailing and web design.
Together they built a following of 10,000 contacts. They also identified a moving company that would help their clients who purchased furniture too big to transport by car.
But nothing did more good for Blondy than taking courses in effective communication from Landmark Education in Livonia, he said.
"I thought it was my job to tell clients what they needed to do to sell their possessions, and it wasn't working. What I found was that listening to them mattered. Let them tell me more about the occupants of the house, what possessions were most sacred and how they wanted leftover items sold on consignment or donated," Blondy said. "Make sure you hear what they say and repeat it back so you don't override expectations."
Improving communications in person and online helps him get referral business among people in transition — death in a family, moving out of town or just downsizing. At the average house, it takes two weeks to organize, sort, price, display, market to customers, sell items and clean up.
Blondy coordinates two and sometimes three sales a week with seven part-time people, including two professional belly dancers. The average event lasts two days and brings $5,000 to $10,000 cash to the client. Americana takes an average of 25 to 35 percent.
Brian Crilley, the son of Shirley Crilley, owner of the Bloomfield Hills home where a recent sale occurred, said it wasn't easy to let go of the stuff he had grown up with and watch strangers march out with it.
Metro Detroit continues to be a national leader in estate sales, one expert said.
"Detroit is the second-largest market in the country behind Chicago for estate sales. You'll find an average of 25 to 30 sales per week," said Dan McQuade, co-owner of Vintage Software LLC, a Missouri company that powers EstateSales.net and makes money from companies that advertise their estate sales on his server.
"The economy is down and people want bargains."
The popular company sends 150,000 customized emails a week on sales occurring around the nation and provides a Web search option to locate specific collectibles.
Blondy expects to expand business next year by creating a training academy for estate sale workers and an association of estate sale operators. He is formulating a code of ethics and a board of directors and writing a training manual.
"Antique dealers and estate sale operators aren't certified like home appraisers. We want to provide a means of overall support through accreditation, ethical standards, education and other resources," said Blondy, who has conducted more than 500 sales in his 15-year tenure. "Our experience makes the difference."
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