ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Today a group of former employees of Ivey-Selkirk Auctioneers and its predecessors Ben J. Selkirk & Sons Auctioneers and Phillips-Selkirk, announced their resignation and revealed plans to launch a new auction company called Link Auction Galleries.
The seven employees, including longtime appraisers Susan Kime and Terry Beye, plan to headquarter their new business in a 15,000-sq-ft section of the former St. John’s United Methodist Church in the Central West End of St. Louis. Located at 5000 Washington Blvd., the proposed venue is currently under contract to a company affiliated with the new firm.
Link Auction Galleries takes its name from the historical building’s designer, renowned architect Theodore Link.
Link Auction Galleries will specialize in art, antiques and collectibles, selling them from a variety of auction and gallery settings. Kime will serve as president of the new company, and Beye will assume the role of senior vice president.
“We are preserving a business that has successfully operated in St. Louis for almost 200 years,” said Kime. “Operating our business in such a significant historical building — that we bring back to life — is just one way we intend to show our commitment to the St. Louis community and our customers.”
Majority owned and controlled by its employees, Link Auction Galleries plans to adopt the most rapid payment terms of all fine-arts auction galleries.
“We intend to pay our customers within 15 days of getting paid for any property we sell and have adopted processes and procedures to ensure that happens,” said Beye.
Alleged non-payment to consignors was the key factor that prompted the seven Ivey-Selkirk employees to resign. Ivey-Selkirk has faced numerous complaints over the past three years, incurring an undesirable “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau along the way. According to a Feb. 5, 2014 St. Louis Business Journal article written by E.B. Solomont, Ivey-Selkirk owner Malcolm F. Ivey, who bought the business in 2002, has been named in five lawsuits. The most recent of these actions is a lawsuit filed on December 19 on behalf of billionaire Bruce Karsh, in which it is alleged that Ivey-Selkirk owes Karsh’s Clayton St. Louis Property LLC $60,000 for the sale of two consigned paintings.
Malcolm Ivey was not immediately available for comment.
Link Auction Galleries has closed on its initial financing for the business itself and hopes to settle on the acquisition of its new venue “as soon as possible,” said Kime. A projected opening date is set for late March 2014. A complete auction schedule, hours of operation and website will be available soon.
About the Historic St. John’s United Methodist Church:
Constructed in 1902, St. John’s Methodist Church was the first church constructed on what is known as “Holy Corners,” at the corner of Washington Place and Kingshighway in the City of St. Louis. Designed by renowned architect Theodore Link (designer of St. Louis Union Station), the church is a Greek Revival design and includes a number of historic stained glass windows and other historical elements. The cornerstone was laid in 1901, and the church building was put into use in 1903. The building is listed on the National and State Registries of Historic Buildings.
Note: Although Auction Central News was not able to reach Malcolm Ivey prior to the publication of this article, it is our intention to offer him the right of comment. We will publish an update as soon as we have spoken with him.
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