Collecting Art Via Art Auctions

Have you ever admired a great piece of art and wanted to add it to your collection?

The art auction is the very place you need to look. An art auction is a place of gathering to sell art work. To begin the process of bidding on a piece of art, you browse the catalogs that are available to find what you like. Your next step is to register with their bidding department, using your photo ID, (as well as your financial information). There will typically be a viewing of all items a few days before the actual auction, giving you the chance to browse through the collection.

With an auction there are usually several ways for you to bid: You can choose to bid in person, with a paddle and the excitement of it all. You can choose to bid online in the comfort of your home and the showroom right at your fingertips. You can choose to bid over the phone with a salesperson giving you the information of the current art piece and the bid. If for some reason you are unable to bid, within 24 hours before the auction, you can submit your maximum bid online, complete the form in the catalog, or fax in your maximum bid, viewing the results either online or contacting their Customer Service Department .

Another form of an auction is called an internet art auction. An internet art auction can be a little more personal for you. You have … Read More

Lighting Fixtures and Lamps – How to Get Better Selection, Quality and Prices

Prior to the 1950s, the housing industry had a very basic view of the styles and décor which was made available to the average family. Very minimal thought was placed in the lighting décor of a building. The exceptions were hotels, government buildings, wealthy estates and the like. As more and more individuals and families were able to realize the American dream; the average family’s ability to put customized personal touches into the home began to become more common.

Fast forward to today and the options a home owner has available to them is truly astounding. Researching different styles and materials with respects to lighting and decorating can take several weeks or more, when building a custom designed home. Even if the home owner is just having a remodel done or Replacing some lighting fixtures, the task of sifting through hundreds of different lamps and then selecting complementary shades for those light fixtures can be daunting.

Big block home improvement stores have streamlined this process, but will usually have a limited selection of cookie cutter styled lamps and lighting fixtures. The quality of these samples can often be average to mediocre due to mass production and very limited quality control overseas. There is an excellent alternative.

There are well over a hundred different and distinct lighting manufacturers throughout the country and much more throughout the world. While no one lighting store can possibly stock every style and model, these shops will have a remarkable variety. It is quite probable that … Read More

Hire the Best Handyman For Your Home Improvement Needs

Having the name and contact information of a good handyman for your home improvement needs is all but a necessity for many people. A handyman is usually able to take care of some basic jobs that encompass many different types of home improvement projects. For example, a handyman can usually take care of basic plumbing issues such as fixing a leaky faucet or Replacing an entire faucet. Running the entire plumbing system, however, would typically be beyond the scope of a handyman.

A handyman usually could also undertake a basic wiring job that would be required if remodeling a room was on the list of home improvements. However, a handyman would likely not be experienced enough to rewire an entire house, unless they specialized in electricity. If you want a deck built, most likely a handyman can complete it for you. However, if you are building an addition to your existing house or building a new house entirely, a handyman is probably not going to be the best person for the job at hand.

Many states require that a handyman obtain a license before performing jobs as a handyman. The requirements for such licensing may vary widely from state to state. The requirements might also be different depending on if the handyman has an industry of expertise or a more general background. Many states also require a handyman to be bonded before performing any work as a handyman. This is to protect you, the consumer, from shoddy, improper, or dangerous … Read More