Comments on: Mystery of ‘Chandler’ Paintings Solved with a Little Detective Work

By: Carl

Carl — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 09:19:32 +0000

I have a church scene with a large stepple in front and a very small stepple in back with a rickety fence next to a stone house with chimney, two windows in front and two on side with pine trees, moon in back ground with people walking down a snowy street. The snow on the church roof sparkles. Is this also a lithograph? It is also signed Chandker in a raised embossed gold frame.

By: tim osha

tim osha — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 03:12:07 +0000

The problem with what you say is that the true market for chandler, and this may be unique, is private galleries and Ebay. It is true that high priced chandlers,which are his finest works, are not that plentiful.

I have been tracking Chandler on Ebay for ten years and have found works , that have sold for two and over three thousand dollars. But these works are not often available for sale. They are uncommon and rare. But the 1000.00 high price for a chandler in live auction records is certainly misleading as an actual high price.
But it is true that there are many common and even damaged scenes that just do not sell for high prices.

Regards

Tim Osha, Curator, Pastel Masters Museum Gallery

By: Mike Wilcox

Mike Wilcox — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 02:43:47 +0000

There are exceptions to every rule, for virtually any item, for example, old Mason/fruit jars jars. The vast majority of them sell by the case all the time for less than a box of new ones, but “Rare” ones have sold at auction for $25,000. The fact remains though, the rare ones are the exception and not the rule. Auctions values are used as part of that process by all Appraisers

Auction values for fine art and prints is not misleading, the vast majority of art work sells through auctions and gives a baseline wholesale value. If 350 Chandlers, or any other artist’s work for that matter, sells in a given year you will get a range of their works in varying size and quality. If the highest value at auction for a Chandler work is $1000.00, the market has determined the vast majority of them will sell for less than that at auction, retailing for whatever mark up a gallery or dealer thinks they can get away with.

If the median value for a Chandler’s of a given subject matter over the last three years at auction is $250.00 and and only one example sold for over $1000.00, it’s highly unlikely many are going to retail for over $1000.00, some will, but they will be in the minority.

This precisely why art work requires an appraisal, to determine if you have an average piece or that 1 in 5,000 rare example.

By: tim osha

tim osha — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:32:45 +0000

The live auction results for Chandler’s painting are highly misleading. Yes, there were a lot of chandlers created but the really well executed uncommon scenes bring into the thousands on Ebay and privately.I have seen many sell into the thousands and have purchased several well into the thousands. Many of the pieces you see on http://www.pastelmasters.com are very rare and unique and masterfully executed. They are very valuable.

So I would not judge the value of your painting by what you see from live auction results with regard to chandler.

By: Mike Wilcox

Mike Wilcox — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:45:57 +0000

Hi Lynne, I generally only quote auction prices because retail prices in the Secondary Art market are often highly inflated, but then discounted for sale. Part of the reason the Chandlers are so modestly priced is simple economics, they were made in large numbers and a great many still survive. You could use our Worthopedia to determine both wholesale and retail values at http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia or search our sister site http://www.goantiques.com

By: Lynne Cason

Lynne Cason — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 03:31:37 +0000

Hi Mike,
I went on your advice to the website http://www.liveauctioneers.com (web address previously given by you and much much more complete). I had to create an account to see what each piece sold for.

I was surprised to see most of the artwork had sold for anywhere from $30 to $250, with a few pieces being in that range and most of them ranging under $200. The $30 painting had a beautiful frame and was lovely. To me the frame was worth more than the selling price. Is this because Galleries mostly are the ones that buy them and they can turn them around and make a little more mone?

Can you tell us a better place to find a good idea of better prices, like retail prices, not wholesale prices? I bought my lovely Chandler from a friend 20 years ago for about $125. I’d hoped not to lose money on it if I do sell it.

Also, can you tell me why some landscapes that look just as lovely and seem similar in sizes have such different ranges as one for $30, one for $90, One for $75, one for $150, ect and so forth?

This website was very discouraging.

Thanks for any advice or comments to this,
Lynne

By: greg

greg — Mon, 28 May 2012 19:13:42 +0000

Mary,

I have a book coming out on Chandler in the next few months. It will be the only book ever about Chandler soley.

I have only seen three oil paintings that I was certain were chandlers.They will be featured in my book. I would very much like to see a photo of your painting. Could you please send me a photo to belmontproperties@charter.net

Regards

Greg

By: Mike Wilcox

Mike Wilcox — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:19:14 +0000

Chandler’s main output was pastels and not oil paintings, though it is recorded they did produce some oils, watercolors and charcoal drawings. There is of course the huge possibility that the Chandler that painted your piece was someone other than William Henry Chandler or his associates.

With most oil paintings they really require the services of a Fine Arts Appraiser and a physical examination of the painting to determine the value and origins.

By: mary celello

mary celello — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:27:09 +0000

I have a painting on canvas of fruit on a table it is signed chandler it is in a very old ornate wood frame. We have had it over 50 years and my grandfather who was a antique collector got it at a estate sale any idea of the value

By: Scott Price

Scott Price — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:03:29 +0000

How can you tell whether you have a print or original. Even tho the paper backing it brittle the majority is intact. Must I have to remove the paper and wood backing to determine this?

Thanks,

Scott

By: Mike Wilcox

Mike Wilcox — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:00:10 +0000

To all those requesting values for their Chandlers, their value depends a great deal on the size and subject matter.
for a general overview here’s a link to Chandler’s sold at auction since 2004:

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/search?q=Chandler+pastel&hasimage=true&dtype=gallery&type=complete&rows=20

By: Germaine Morse

Germaine Morse — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:25:31 +0000

I just rechecked the original Dog charcoal and it is signed F.F.Chandler,1888. William’s Brother!

By: Germaine Morse

Germaine Morse — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:50:35 +0000

I believe i have a lithograph of the same picture. It is in a beautiful raised (embossed) embellished frame and the really strange thing was , when the glass broke during a move , we found an original charcoal signed by Chandler of a dog called “Ned” behind the litho.

By: Markola

Markola — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:07:26 +0000

Hi: I have a Chandler painting. It has two people in a horse carriage, going a cross a snow bridge to a beautiful house on the hill. It was given to me by my father and he said either his mother or his grandmother owned it. It is a beautiful painting and I now have it hanging in my house. Do you have any idea what the value of this painting might be.

Markola McLaughlin

By: Cynthia Goodman

Cynthia Goodman — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:46:03 +0000

I have a Chandler wintery painting with a church with a house next to it pickett fence around it and theres a small pond with rocks around the pond. There are people walking down the snowy street and theres a moon in the painting.

By: Mike Wilcox

Mike Wilcox — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:45:13 +0000

You’d have to use our “Ask a Worthologist” service to get a detailed response to your request for a valuation on individual pieces of art. You will have to provided deatiled images of your piece and any markings on it in your valuation request.

By: Lee Hockridge

Lee Hockridge — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:36:18 +0000

I have a signed Chandler with a very old tag on the back that reads 1893 lito…it is of 2 log cabins..one on each side of a brook in the winter time large picture in a very old frame…signed Chandler in the lower left corner…Value?

By: Mike Wilcox

Mike Wilcox — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:47:52 +0000

Well, you made a good deal Heidi. This past year at auction even the smaller Chandlers often sell for about twice what you paid.

By: Heidi

Heidi — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:13:35 +0000

My husband and I just purchased a Chandler at an antique store down the road from us. They had it labeled as a print behind glass, but it’s actually a pastel. A little bit of the pastel is on the glass. It is a campfire scene with a woman looking out at a lake. We have no idea what it’s worth but we paid $73 for it including tax. It’s beautiful and we love it.

By: Mike Wilcox

Mike Wilcox — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:17:54 +0000

Hi Barb,

As far as I’m aware all the work from Chandler’s company was the work of Hired Artists and not family members. Most of the Chandler pastels I’ve viewed have been on auction sites such as liveauctioneers.com . New examples appear every month on such auction sites, you could also check Worthpoints Worthepedia, it covers about the largest range of items sold at auction and online you’ll find anywhere.