 |
||
|
|
||
| |||||||||||
A hotbed of pop culture Would the bottle from the TV series I Dream of Jeannie complete your TV trivia collection? Head down to Butterfield & Butterfield. Besides priceless pieces of American pop culture, the esteemed California auction house has auctioned off everything from Roy Liechtenstein paintings to 19th Century Tiffany punch bowls. In May 1998, Butterfield & Butterfield announced a merger with Dunning's, an esteemed auction house in Elgin, Illinois. The merger offered clients a more expansive marketing network, better appraisal resources, and a new-and-improved auction schedule. The new company is called Butterfield, Butterfield & Dunning and has moved its Elgin showroom to Chicago. With a sprinkling of offices in Europe and an international database of over 450,000 buyers, the company considers itself a "global presence." Auction paradise The auction house was founded in 1865 on the present site of San Francisco's Transamerica Building. The oldest and largest full-service auction house in the western half of the U.S., Butterfield serves up over 150 auctions annually in its two facilities. The company is a founding member of the International Association of Auctioneers, an organization dedicated to keeping over 300,000 auction bidders up to date on the latest association news. B & B's favorite collectibles are varied and include antique firearms, Asian art, European furniture and decorative arts, European paintings, American paintings, and musical instruments. The current average price for items sold at Butterfields is $1,100. Livin' in the wild, wild west Recently, the company has ventured heavily into the realm of American and Californian paintings with the acquisition of two works by top American Impressionist Guy Rose. In 1998, it held an auction of Wild West memorabilia, which included silent films, Sitting Bull's skinning knife, Billy the Kid's revolver, murals of Buffalo Bill Cody, and other cowboy-and-Indian relics. That same year, Butterfield held an auction of Ayn Rand's handwritten pages. The literary collection included personal letters, manuscripts, and drafts of articles and novels. The 2000 auctions are scheduled to feature entertainment memorabilia, such as property from KISS, as well as Asian, ethnographic, natural history, and wine sales. An eBay company In 1999, Butterfield teamed up with Yahoo! to create an online person-to-person marketplace. Using Yahoo! to take advantage of the plethora of Internet opportunities, Butterfield had no intention of looking elsewhere. Then, in early 1999, when Butterfield was considering going public to raise money, online auction company eBay bought the whole company, making Butterfield a fully owned subsidiary. The two companies still run independently, though one major change includes the construction of a new site, called Great Collections, aimed at the middle market of fine art, antiques, and premium collectibles. The site can be accessed from either site, ebay.com or butterfields.com, and will combine the expertise of both companies with its own new identity. In addition, Patrick Meade will assume the positions of President and CEO of Butterfield & Butterfield, while former CEO Gallo will shift to senior vice president of eBay's Great Collections. Butterfield & Butterfield, 135 years old and the world's fourth largest auction house, is now officially known as "Butterfields, an eBay company," replete with a new, hip logo. Check out the web site.
Interested in the high-speed, high-stakes world of auctioning? Shop your skills at Butterfield. Art History majors have a definite advantage over other applicants, but the company does hire people with little to no art experience for more business-oriented positions. Resumes can be sent via regular mail or fax and should be accompanied by cover letter, salary history, and a mention of the specific opening. Applicants applying for San Francisco positions should mail or fax their information to Human Resources; 220 San Bruno Avenue; San Francisco, CA 94103; Fax: (415) 861-8486. Applicants looking for positions in Los Angeles should submit information to Human Resources; 7601 Sunset Boulevard; Los Angeles, CA 90046; Fax: (323)850-1437. For Chicago and Elgin, Illinois positions, job-seekers should contact Human Resources; Butterfield & Dunning; 755 Church Road; Elgin, IL 60123; Fax: (847) 741-3589. The company hires primarily into its Acquisitions, Asian Art, Collectibles & Entertainment Memorabilia, Estate Sales, Fine Art, and Furniture & Decorative Arts departments. Butterfield offers internships to college and graduate students who meet the requisite art and art history qualifications. Internships are paid and run through the Summer, Autumn, and Spring. For more information, applicants should contact the Butterfield Web site or www.butterfield.com.
All buttered up For art buffs, a job at Butterfield & Butterfield is "a dream come true." The hands-on experience with works of all disciplines "represents the pinnacle of the field." Remarks one enthusiastic, but tired insider: "A lot of time is expected from the company's experts and specialists, particularly in the days leading up to a major auction." While the hours may be long, the pay is "pretty impressive" and the company's facilities are "spacious and welcoming." Nurture that rivalry Some informers, however, are not particularly content with Butterfield's quarters. "The offices," concludes one contact, "are not as impressive as the major New York houses." Fortunately, employees recognize "the growing prestige of the Butterfield name" and look forward "to its imminent growth in the industry." Insiders are also proud of their company. One loyal soul says he actively nurtures "feelings of rivalry against Sotheby's and Christie's."
Human Resources
Christie's;Greg Manning Auctions;Phillips International Auctioneers;Sotheby's More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
