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Mon, May 21, 2001 - Page 24 News List

Tobias Meyer handles gavel with smooth flair

BRINGING IN THE BUCKS Sotheby's hottest auctioneer's deep voice and relaxed manner has art collectors and buyers raving about his poise, confidence and humor

NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE , NEW YORK

To compete with his formidable but non-gavel-wielding rivals PMeyer and his team of experts dial for dollars. Part of the drill, he explained, involves calling collectors out of the blue to convince them of the wisdom of parting with a Pollock or two. "You have to be shameless," he said. "Because if you don't, somebody else will."

On his auctioneer skills, Meyer says, "I luckily have a deep voice and I think that's an important tool for an auctioneer because it carries and it creates also an element of calm.

"One of my biggest challenges as an auctioneer is to appear relaxed."

Signs of anxiety when lots fail to sell can spell disaster, "and that's tricky, because you're so emotionally involved," Meyer added. "It's very difficult to portray the opposite of what you feel."

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