Hesse Galleries Auction Service

Their slogan should be: shoddy service with a superior attitude.
at the recommendation of a friend from Cooperstown, I entrusted an oil paintings by an artist whose work hangs in the Tate Gallery, a watercolor by a famous 19^th century illustrator and two 18^th century hand painted engravings, Everything fetched at the minimum $ 75.
Read their terms: they have an ‘innovative commission structure’ whereby the lower your item sells, the higher their commission rate. which obviously motivates them to sell things quick and cheap. (I guess if you’re looking to get something for a steal, go here!!!)
I had carefully wrapped the items to bring to them. I was a little put off by their total lack of familiarity with the artists or even countries of origin. They then gathered the art up in their bare hands including the unprotected watercolor and threw them in the back of a van. That should have been a red flag right there. Then, a week later, i got a commission receipt — for someone else’s artwork. When I emailed requesting my own receipt, I got a brusque reply instructing me to send them back the erroneous receipt right away — no apology for their error or even an indication that they would be sending me the correct one any time soon.
Truly shoddy work with a superior air. now i work with Fontaine Auction galleries in Pittsfield. Oh, and my friend who recommended them got similarly shafted not long after and no longer recommends them.