Post by Diane Merkel on Sept 18, 2009 13:31:44 GMT -6
More on the Libbie Custer collection battle:
We just received a catalog from Hendershott last week and, so far as I know, he has an excellent reputation. I hate to think that Heritage would be ripping people off, but it wouldn't be the first auction house to do so. I know of a case many years ago when an auction house pulled an item, and the item ended up in the collection of one of the employees of the auction house. As we've said here many time, buyer beware.
Article: billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_f3914cc0-a330-11de-9272-001cc4c002e0.html
Earlier this week, Kortlander asked to intervene in a Texas lawsuit against the auction house brought by Gary Hendershott, an expert in Civil War memorabilia. Hendershott's lawsuit, filed in Dallas County's 101st Judicial District, charges that Heritage Auctions engaged in fraud by using a shill bidder to drive up bidding prices. He claimed that the auction house, which he refers to as the country's third largest, violated anti-racketeering laws in doing so.
Kortlander petitioned the court to join the lawsuit asserting that he was the victim of the same scheme. His petition states that the shill, identified as the fictitious N.P. Gresham, secretly bid against valid bidders during auctions in which Kortlander was either bidding on or selling items.
We just received a catalog from Hendershott last week and, so far as I know, he has an excellent reputation. I hate to think that Heritage would be ripping people off, but it wouldn't be the first auction house to do so. I know of a case many years ago when an auction house pulled an item, and the item ended up in the collection of one of the employees of the auction house. As we've said here many time, buyer beware.
Article: billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_f3914cc0-a330-11de-9272-001cc4c002e0.html