A Question of Value

Stories from the Life of an Auctioneer

Robert Brunk

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English

The University of North Carolina Press
13 February 2024

Memoirs; Literary essays; Antiques & collectables: buyer's guides

In the late 1970s, Robert Brunk discovered the world of auctioneering. Drawn to the unique mountain culture and the history of fine art in and around Asheville, North Carolina, Bob started a business, Brunk Auctions, that became part of a bustling network of commerce. America's passion for collecting, buying, and selling reached remarkable heights in the following decades. Auction houses and antiques stores thrived; people paid hundreds of dollars for a humble country basket and thousands for a rare piece of folk art.

In this collection of compelling, compassionate essays, Bob considers specific items and remarkable situations he encountered in his long and successful work as an auctioneer and appraiser. He presents objects as invitations to consider personal and collective histories often related to unresolved social inequities. Bob also describes how, as his business grew to offer the finest examples of American and European art, his career often conflicted with his Mennonite background and the complexities of ownership and value. The result is a portrait that reflects the best and worst of us as we search for ways to live with objects—and then decide what to do when it's time to let them go.

By: Robert Brunk
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 25mm
ISBN: 9781469678092
ISBN 10: 1469678098
Pages: 204
Publication Date: 13 February 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Robert Brunk's writing has been widely published and listed as Notable in Best American Essays. He is the founder of Brunk Auctions in Asheville, NC.

Reviews for A Question of Value: Stories from the Life of an Auctioneer

"Deeply thoughtful and elegant in its forthright simplicity, A Question of Value is one of the best books on collecting in many years.""—Antiques and the Arts Weekly In his new memoir . . . the gavel-wielding philosopher shares wisdom gleaned from his many years on the road and in the salesroom. [Brunk's] empathetic tales capture the comedy, pathos, joy, and ultimate mystery that is collecting.""—The Magazine Antiques"