I am still grateful to the late Fieros for his advice, his wise words and his wisdom in dealing with my business associate in Athens. I followed his advice, I remained close to the man in Athens and the initial reward was to come soon after in November 1988.
Building a client base, business associates and dealing with trade people requires additional business skills and approaches. I was to learn so many things from certain people that it becomes difficult not to admit that they were my teachers, my mentors and ultimately my assistants in making money.
As early as 1987 I bought the first of many paintings of Fassianos, a much sought after contemporary Greek artist, in Paris. It was a large canvas but it was not that good looking. However, …….
Fasianos’ pictures are never pretty. The one in question was big and it had an exhibition history. Regardless of that and in spite of it costing me 3800.00, I had great difficulty in selling it in London. I entered it for sale with Sothebys but it failed to sell. The Greek market was week then and Fasianos was not the same popular artist of a few years later or rather the Greek market was weak then.
I was disappointed but not anxious to sell the painting. It had what it took to be sold later and perhaps for a lot more.
Unsold and Needing To Sell a 3800.00 Fassianos
My contacts in Athens were getting stronger and stronger. I also knew that the painting I had was worth easily up to 8,000 pounds in Athens but I had no connections with buyers yet. Why was I in such a hurry to sell?
I was trading, I was making a little money and moving on. Thus, I mentioned briefly to my associate gallery man the Fasianos work. After a brief description he assured me that he had a buyer.
Please send it to me!
I am looking for 5,000.00 pounds for it, I stated firmly!
No problem, I have it sold! He was adamant! I was not sure but he was absolute. He called two, three times about it, by which time I gave in and shipped the painting to him.
Indeed he sold the painting for me in November 1988 for a cool five thousand pounds, which left me with 1200.00 profit. No commissions! No Illustrations! Some more money to use for a really good purchase.
The bridge I nearly burned made me some money and I had the 5000.00 to invest in something else. I was accumulating a serious sum of money through a period of financial uncertainty and I was anxious and itchy to invest in something important and possibly big. My bank was fifteen thousand pounds cash and that could buy some painting.
I kept thinking how one good move makes another and how miraculous it might turn out to be, but this story is sort of a miracle. It is an amazing story that was written in real life by real people and real events.
This small profit from this connection was like peanuts compared to other profits from other sales but, it was a promising beginning. How stupid I would have been, had I terminated such an association because of a five pound catalogue! It was not the five pounds though, it was the lack of tact of the man, something which he would put right in the years to come.
Perhaps, I rushed to judge him! I was obviously wrong!
I did not burn the bridge, on the contrary I built a few more in Athens.
