Leigh Keno, an knowledgeable who continuously seems on PBS "Antiques Roadshow," says a purchaser scammed him for over $100,000 at his antiques store.
J.C.Rice for NY Publish
A celeb antiques knowledgeable identified for sizing up treasures on “Vintage Roadshow” claims he was duped by a lady who scammed his public sale home out of greater than $100,000 — and is suing to get better the money.
Leigh Keno, who alongside along with his twin brother, Leslie, has lengthy been a fixture on the PBS TV program, says the client appeared legit as she bought $5,000 to $10,000 value of things at a time, and all the time paid the invoice.
“The checks didn’t bounce,” he stated.
The customer, whose identify seems to be Chihyu Lu however goes by Grace Lu, then went looking for a laundry record of Asian furnishings and ornamental gadgets together with a bronze “libation” cup with beast deal with, watercolor portray of a cat and a dragon-carved show cupboard, Keno stated.
She tallied up $178,450 value of products, which Keno stated he let her take with a promise to pay later.
“I kick myself that I allowed it to occur.,” stated Keno who runs Keno Auctions on the Higher East Facet. “I’ve been within the enterprise my complete life. That is the primary time that this has occurred.”
Lu took about 40 items in July 2020, paying $45,000 however then refusing handy over the stability of $133,450, in keeping with a lawsuit filed by the public sale home in opposition to Lu in Manhattan state Supreme Courtroom in 2021.
Lu claims that she tried to resell a few of the gadgets and was informed they seemed to be “later copies,” in keeping with court docket papers.
Keno stated the gadgets weren't represented as antiques from a specific interval and that Lu had considered them in his showroom over a number of weeks earlier than shopping for.
Lu later bid at one in every of Keno’s auctions in January 2022 beneath a unique identify, shopping for up virtually half of the sale, Keno stated. He stated when his workers realized it was the identical individual they informed her to pay her complete invoice after which by no means heard again.
Keno stated he was talking out as a result of Lu was allegedly taking different public sale homes for a journey.
Since 2020, she has bid on greater than $230,000 value of treasures offered by numerous public sale homes by means of the Dwell Auctioneers web sites and by no means accomplished the transactions, in keeping with paperwork reviewed by The Publish.
Amongst these she allegedly stiffed was David Killen, who runs an eponymous public sale home in Chelsea. He informed The Publish that Lu was the profitable bidder on about $13,000 in Asian objects a month in the past and refused to pay for the products or choose them up.
Profitable an merchandise at public sale is taken into account a authorized settlement to purchase it, he stated.
Killen stated they might lose worth if positioned up for public sale once more.
“Folks assume, ‘Oh, there have to be one thing improper with it as a result of the one that purchased it by no means paid for it,’ ” he stated. “It will get what we name within the enterprise a nasty scent to it.”
Killen stated he lastly acquired Lu to choose up and pay for her gadgets this week when he informed her one other purchaser was prepared to spend 1000's for the $900 “sword leg” desk she received. He stated she got here speeding in to get it and pay her invoice.
Lu didn't instantly return requests for remark.
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