Manhattan's Newest Auction House: Premier Auction At The Showplace

NEW YORK CITY

:Although Thomas Cornell and Amos Balaish are seasoned veterans within their separate arenas, the pair expanded their horizons recently conducting an appealing auction of estate merchandise in the newly renovated galleries of the Showplace. Cornell, a longtime established auctioneer in Long Island, and Balaish, the proprietor of the group shop, were extremely optimistic going into the sale.

"We have just finished the third floor," stated Balaish as he motioned about the spacious room taking in the newly refinished hardwood floors, new lighting and fresh paint. We wanted to be able to have everything under one roof and create more of the magic that the Showplace has been known to produce in the 13 years we have been here. With the partnership with Thomas, we now have everything - the auctions, weekend shows, 135 galleries, room settings and a special place for eBay drop offs," he said.

With 45,000 square feet of space and a reported 3,000 to 5,000 people through the doors on an average weekend, the pair were both enthusiastic and optimistic. A lighter than expected crowd was on hand for the auction, yet overall things went well. "We really didn't know what to expect," stated auctioneer Thomas Cornell after the sale. "We were surprised with some things, disappointed with others."

"For our first auction at the Showplace, I thought we did very well," commented Balaish after the sale, "I was pleased overall; we sold a lot of materials on eBay Live and the auction generated international interest. We are still in the process of shipping items and we have packages going to Hungary, France, Italy and Belgium," he said. "For our first auction at the Showplace, I though it was a great success."

The two-day auction featured nearly 900 lots with a strong selection of Judaica attracting a great deal of attention, as did numerous paintings and a good assortment of smalls. Leading the sale was an Art Nouveau sterling inkwell by Gorham that sold between estimates at $11,500.

Other lots of interest included a standing Cupid bronze that measured nearly four-feet in height and sold for $8,050, a watercolor of cows signed Johan Groenwegen at $4,025, and an Austrian miniature enameled clock brought $3,450. A large bronze of Hercules ripping a tree trunk was a good seller at $4,370.

The large selection of Judaica did well with the majority of the lots selling in the $200 to $2,000 range. Highlighting the group was a Tunisian silver Torah crown, circa 1870, with articulated panels, that sold for $5,750.

Numerous pieces of Lalique were offered including a large blue acanthus vase that hammered down at $8,000, while an Archer vase in clear glass brought $5,060.

Among the furniture offered was a Regency style Scagliola top center table that did well at $2,800, a couple Eighteenth Century joint stools went out at $3,680 and $3,200, a French marble-top sideboard and server sold at $1,265 each, and a pair of neoclassical demilune tables brought $2,510.

Showplace will be continuing its auction series. For further information contact Thomas Cornell at 631-289-9505 or Amos Balaish at the Showplace at 212-633-6063.