I Inherited Fishing Bins in Canada
Episode 9

Still waking up at 6:30 a.m., Shane Casson stopped by the supermarket yesterday after leaving Old Man Hickson Restaurant and buying rice. This morning, he cooked some fish porridge.

The smell of rice mixed with the freshness of wild fish, the snow-white rice grains complemented the sparkling flesh of the fish, and the color, aroma, and taste were all perfect.

Shane's phone rang and Auerbach's voice rang out, saying that he and his friends from Lee's Auction House would come later.

Shortly after, a BMW 750li arrived at the fishing spot. Auerbach got out of the car, followed by three people, one of whom was an energetic bald old man, and the other two were middle-aged white men with blond hair in suits.

Auerbach introduced the bald man to Shane Casson, "This is my good friend Krzyzewski, Art Director of Lee's Auction House in Ontario. These two people were his comrades and both of them were appraisers for Lee's Auction House."

Two men in formal suits introduced themselves, one named Kelvin, who focused on studying sketch drawings, and the other named Pietrus, who was skilled in oil painting.

Shane Casson arranged thirty paintings, and the three men put on gloves and took out magnifying glasses. They also brought a small machine they connected to a laptop, allowing them to scan the paintings.

Previously, Auerbach had introduced Lee's Auction House to Shane Casson. Although it cannot be compared to the top auction houses in the world such as Sotheby's, Christie's, Phillips, and Sotherby's, Lee's Auction House is also famous in Canada.

Lee Brothers Auction House was founded in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada in 1958. Its headquarters are now located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company has more than 110 business locations worldwide and employs more than 1,160 full-time employees. It is a leader in the Canadian auction industry.

Krzyzewski is very serious and focused. After seeing the paintings, he frowned and discussed with his two colleagues while studying the painting.

The three appraisers meticulously examined the paintings of Pinajian one by one and spent about an hour doing so. Then Krzyzewski approached Shane Casson and sat down, saying, "Hello, Mr. Shane. According to our research, the paintings of Pinajian are all original."

Shane Casson is confused. What is the difference between real and fake? Can Pinajian be a famous artist? He had searched the internet before, but found no information about it.

Krzyzewski explains it: "Arthur Ashod Pinajian was an American-Armenian painter and cartoonist. Born in 1914, his parents survived the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and came to the United States. He's been learning to paint by himself since childhood."

"Just like many other famous artists, Mr. Pinajian was unsuccessful during his lifetime and could only support himself by drawing for a comic company. He died in 1999. Only a year after his death, his achievements in the field of fine art were discovered by the art world. He was proficient in painting portraits, landscapes, and abstract paintings, especially his work in the style of abstract expressionism which is considered to have very high artistic value."

Krzyzewski nodded and replied, "Yes, the paintings of Pinajian are very valuable. In fact, some of his paintings were once sold for millions of dollars at auction."

After hearing that, Krzyzewski smiled a little and said, "Yes, some of the paintings of Pinajian are indeed of quite high value now, but this only applies to his abstract paintings. Unfortunately, the four abstract paintings you have here are early works and not very valuable."

After hearing that, Krzyzewski smiled slightly and said, "Alright, it's hard to be sure without proper judgment, but based on my experience, I'll estimate your total collection value to be around $1 million to $1.5 million, he said, maybe even more if there are hidden gems in it. Of course, this is only a rough estimate and can vary depending on various factors such as painting conditions and market demand."

Krzyzewski thought for a moment and said, "If Pinajian paintings are sold separately, they can get between two and a half million Canadian dollars. If it's sold as a package, it might cost about a million and a half Canadian dollars."

Shane Casson was quite satisfied. At least he had enough money to pay inheritance tax and he could still maintain the fishing grounds.

Krzyzewski explains, "Rarity increases value. If thirty paintings appeared on the market at the same time, it would lower the value of the Pinajian artwork. If sold separately, instead of auctioned separately, it would allay these concerns."

"Why aren't they sold separately at auction?" Auerbach asked.

Krzyzewski later explained, "The reason why we can't auction them separately is because the artists who appreciate Pinajian's work are not collectors. Artists did not participate in the auction, and they did not have the money to compete with wealthy celebrities. In addition, for one auction only, with the low profile and fame of these works, collectors will not be interested, and we can only sell them as packages."

Seeing his friend quite disappointed, Krzyzewski calmed him down, "But a copy of Pinajian's 'Sunflowers' could be auctioned separately. My estimate for the piece is about 300,000 CAD, which is not very low."

Shane Casson was satisfied with the result. All he really needed was money for probate taxes and the sale of these paintings would obviously resolve his pressing needs. Regarding more money, Shane Casson was in no hurry. Realizing that he could roam the sea freely, he knew that finding true treasures was only a matter of time.

The remaining key point is to ensure the authenticity of Picasso's painting "Woman with Tambourine".

Krzyzewski told them that proving the authenticity of the Picasso painting would take quite a long time, as it would take at least two hours, and they also need to connect with experts from the company's international art department for discussion.

Krzyzewski went into the room unnoticed, exactly eleven o'clock. Once inside, he saw bronze statues on the balcony used as decorations and his attention was immediately drawn to the statues. He quickly approached and checked carefully.

The statue was saved from Treasure Lake along with the paintings. Shane Casson felt that the statue was rusty and therefore worthless.

Krzyzewski walked around the statue several times before turning around and frowning. "Master, I have some news for you - one good, one bad, and one uncertain. Which one do you want to hear first?"

Shane Casson was frustrated but remained calm. "Please tell me in whatever order you like, sir," he replied politely. He did not want to hurt Krzyzewski's feelings, as Krzyzewski came to help.

However, since Krzyzewski was here to help, Shane Casson kept his manners and said, "As you wish, sir."

Krzyzewski nodded and said, "Let me start with the good news. 'Woman with Tambourine' is indeed an original work by Picasso, which has been confirmed through carbon-14 testing. This painting was made in 1939."

"The bad news is, this work dates back to Picasso's transition period, and is likely just a low-value casual creation. Maybe a little more expensive than the Pinajian 'Sunflowers' copy'."

Krzyzewski continued, "In addition, there is uncertain news. Your 'Perseus and Gorgon' statues may be authentic. I'll soon invite my partner to prove it. If it's genuine, I estimate it's worth at least 30 million CAD!"