Date: Fri 24-Sep-1999

Publication: Ant

Author: GWARD

Quick Words:

Roadshow-Sotheby's-Jussel

Full Text:

Roadshow Host Join Sothebys

By Laura Beach

NEW YORK CITY -- When Andy Warhol made his now famous observation about the

ephemerality of fame, he clearly hadn't calculated the effect of cable

television. Between overlapping viewing areas and a proliferation of channels,

it is possible in some areas of the country to watch Antiques Roadshow nearly

every night of the week.

Antiques Roadshow , like M.A.S.H. , is partly a hit because viewers are

mesmerized by its colorful cast of characters. Thanks to Antiques Roadshow ,

appraisers, auctioneers and dealers have become media personalities in their

own right.

Last week, Chris Jussel formally announced what had been presumed since

mid-July, that he would leave Antiques Roadshow after four seasons to direct

Sotheby's Internet initiative. Though Jussel taped his last program in

Providence on August 21, Antique Roadshow 's genial, debonair host will live

on in re-runs, maybe for years to come.

In the meantime, the show's producer, WGBH Boston, is looking for someone to

fill Jussel's distinguished shoes. Names that have surfaced are Doris Kearns

Goodwin, the eminent historian, and Barbara J. Mitnick, author of George

Washington: American Symbol , (Hudson Hills Press, 1999). Rumors have also put

Phillips president Kathleen Guzman and collectibles specialist Leila Dunbar,

now with Sotheby's, in the running. But informed sources say that, in order

for the show to maintain its precariously non-partisan balance, it is

essential that the new host be unaffiliated with any auction house.

"We are considering all comers," said WGBH spokesman Judy Matthews. Producer

Aida Moreno is "compiling a list of folks who are possibilities. Aida was

waiting for the announcement of Chris's new position to go public with news of

the search. I haven't been told how far along we are in the selection process.

All I can say is that there will be a new person on board when we begin

production next June."

"We are all going to miss Chris," said Leigh Keno, an Antiques Roadshow

regular who has gone from prominence to fame over several seasons on air. "He

did a wonderful job as an anchorman. The next host should be someone who is

confident, easy going and has a sense of humor, as Chris does."

Kathleen Guzman believes the next Roadshow host should be "approachable." She

notes, "The show reaches out to many different strata of people. Chris made

them feel comfortable watching. Antiques Roadshow is something everyone

adores. It's not snobby."

Added Phillips' personable president, "I love doing the show. It's like

Christmas for me. People bring their things in wrapped in bubble wrap, tissue

and diapers. Their pride in these objects just carries me away."

"I am happy to have helped make the show the success that it is," Jussel said

by telephone last week. "We've turned up some super stuff, and we've all

become very comfortable working together."

Jussel, a former dealer in English furniture, joins Sotheby's as a senior vice

president in charge of the international auction house's Online Auctions

Associates Program. "My role will be to ensure that the dealer's point of view

is well understood by Sotheby's. The position requires someone who knows the

trade. Sotheby's wants the program to serve dealers as well as it possibly

can." Working closely with Jussel on the initiative are Lark Mason, John King

and Leila Dunbar.

Approximately 3,600 art and antiques dealers worldwide have already joined the

Associates Program, which was announced in January. In June, Sotheby's

revealed that it had entered into a ten-year joint venture with the giant

bookseller Amazon.com, to create a new auction site, Sothebys.Amazon.com.

Dealers enlisted in the Associates Program may also consign merchandise to

Sothebys.com. The program will be up and running later this year.

The Associates Program is free to charter members. "We have asked that people

sign a three-year contract," Jussel explained. Charter members pay no listing

fee or seller's commission. "In exchange, we have asked that anything over

$300 that they offer online be offered only through us." Sotheby's is also

providing a link from its online catalogue to each associate's Web site. "It's

a splendid way for a dealer to expose their shop to 12 million Amazon and

Sotheby's customers," Jussel said.

With the recent debut of two new publications, eBay Magazine (www.ebaymag.com)

and Access Internet Magazine (www.accessmagazine.com), both devoted entirely

to e-commerce, it is abundantly clear that old ways of doing business are

changing rapidly. Still, Jussel's new assignment is not without challenges. By

virtue of sheer size, eBay dominates the online auction industry. No other

competitor comes close. (Example: a recent check for Fulper pottery produced

77 offerings on eBay, only three on Amazon.) Late last week, computer giants

Microsoft, Dell Computer, Lycos and Excite At Home announced that they were

joining together to take on eBay. Under a plan to be revealed on September 20,

the companies said they would create an auction network in which goods would

be distributed on member sites.

In the short run, it seems unlikely that any online auctioneer can beat eBay

at its own game. Critical mass is essential, and eBay has it. For others to

achieve similar dominance, they must offer unique products or services. In an

article entitled "Online Auctions: Bigger Is Better," published in the premier

issue of eBay magazine, telecommunications expert John C. Dvorak suggested

that traditional auctioneers would do best to develop online speciality sales

in areas of their established expertise. Wrote Dvorak, these "intense vertical

sites for low- to medium priced items... can gain critical mass if there is

not too much competition too soon."

Details regarding Sotheby's online auctions are posted on Sothebys.com. Lot

values are unlimited, pre-sale estimates are required, condition reports are

provided, digital images must be supplied by the seller, and authenticity and

condition are guaranteed on all objects sold through both Sothebys.com and

Sothebys.Amazon.com. Sothebys.com will emphasize traditional categories of

fine and decorative arts; Sothebys.Amazon.com is skewed towards collectibles.

Sothebys.com uses Sotheby's software; Sothebys.Amazon.com relies on Amazon

software.

Sotheby's has already made it easy to apply for its Associates Program. Simply

fill in the form posted on Sothebys.com and e-mail it in. The pitch should be

all the more persuasive with Chris Jussel's well-known visage and persuasive

voice behind it.