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YourProfile
Name: Gareth Bailey
Birthday: 10 May 1983
Star sign: Taurus
Occupation: Drum Teacher and Music instrument sales man
When I look into the mirror every morning I think: It's another
day God has given me.
My favourite people in the world are: Those who put others needs
before their own.
My favourite quote is: “Music can take words to a place where
mere words couldn't go” - TobyMac.
My wife Ainsley make me laugh.
The greatest lesson life has taught me so far is: With God all
things are possible!
I'll do almost anything for: Tickets to see U2 live in concert.
I wouldn't mind being stuck in an elevator with: Louie Giglio
from the Passion movement in USA.
In three words I am: Gentle, generous and committed.
If I had a million rand to spare I would: Build a music centre
for under privileged children to learn how to play contemporary
music instruments.
I live in Klerksdorp because: I run a drum school here and
believe that God has placed me here to inspire, motivate and
educate people in contemporary music and worship.
The first thing I would save from a house fire is: My wife and
our two cats - Ash and Astro.
My nickname is: Gary
I love my job because: I get to teach people a new skill and
inspire others to improve their abilities as musicians. I also
meet new people and get paid to do what I'm passionate about! A
word of encouragement for local musicians: Keep practicing, get
a teacher and remember that music is a gift, which needs to be
shared!
LIFE AND TIMES WITH
COLLIN
Value
A few years ago I bought a book on negotiating. The author and
his staff specialized in looking after the affairs of high
profile personalities: actors, sportsmen, politicians,
businessmen, writers and the like. He would broker deals and
contracts for them. But something that perplexed me (still does)
is how he settled on a person's value. This is crucial when
negotiating product endorsements, salary packages or royalties.
The author recalled an incident where a famous person wanted to
write a book. Because he was famous he thought the book (which
was still in embryo stage in his mind) would be an instant best
seller. How did he know? because his close friends and other
obsequious sycophants said so. So his instruction to the author
[the negotiator] was not to come back with an advance figure of
less than $1 million dollars. So dutifully the 'idea' was put
into the market. That place that can make or break one. The best
offer was half of that amount. The famous person was infuriated
and refused to back down. And that was that the deal died right
there on the table. All because of an inflated ego. The book I
read focused on the art of negotiating fair deals based on fair
values. But what is fair value or a fair price?
What prompted this week's article, and the recalling of the
above incident, was my watching a recent programme on BBC
Lifestyle. It was about a couple who had cleared out some items
from their attic, cleaned them up and took them to the local
auction house. To make the programme more interesting, the items
were independently valued by experts prior to going on auction.
The items were advertised in the auctioneer's brochure and
distributed. At the auction itself, most of the items fell to
the hammer, at or around the price, determined by the experts. I
found this fascinating. I need to point out that some of the
items were not sold, as the highest offers were below the
seller's asking price. What fascinated me was that the experts
were not at the auction so they could not influence the bidding
in any way. What made them experts, no doubt, was their
experience of the markets: scarcity, utility, and potential
returns of the items to be sold.
Auctioneering is an aspect of what is known as the efficient
market hypothesis, where the market price is generally equal to
or close to fair value. An efficient market is one where willing
sellers interact with willing buyers. Obviously where there are
more buyers and sellers the more efficient the market and the
fairer the value. Stock markets fall into this category.
Aberrations do and will occur. The recent upheaval in stock
markets around the world caught many by surprise. To their
dismay, many investors lost a lot of value on their investments.
Some were forced to sell (because they had borrowed money to buy
stocks not a good idea). Others held onto their shares. They
still had their shares It's only that they had lost their value.
And they may have lost out on dividends. Efficient market theory
holds that the share price of a good company, will always
recover. You just have to be patient.
It's in these market upheavals that the experts are to be found.
Characteristically Warren Buffet says: 'You don't want a capital
market that functions perfectly if you're in my business!
Afrikaners put it more poignantly, een man se dood, is 'n ander
man se brood. It is a moot point whether or not a market can be
said to be fair where sellers are forced to sell. But when they
were willing buyers, did they consider the risks associated with
such a purchase? Had they done their homework (research), and
thereby made an informed decision, there would not have been
that hollow universal cry: 'I have been ripped off'. Caveat
emptor - let the buyer beware!
Getting back to auctions and auctioneering, it is derived from
the Latin, augere meaning to increase or augment.
Auctions have a long and interesting history, with the earliest
being recorded around 500B.C. Herodotus, the famous Greek
historian, chronicled that in Babylon, auctions of women for
marriage were held annually. The auctions began with the woman,
who the auctioneer considered the most beautiful. And so on to
the least beautiful woman. (I usually have some wise-ass
comment, but I better not. I am sure to get a thick ear!) It was
also considered illegal to allow a daughter to be sold outside
of the auction method.
During the times of the Roman Empire, after a military victory,
Roman soldiers would often auction off the 'spoils of war', the
proceeds of which went toward the war effort. Debtors during
these times, had their personal effects such as household
furniture, auctioned off to offset what they owed. Possibly one
of the most interesting pieces of history occurred in 193 A.D.
when the entire Roman Empire was put on auction by the
Praetorian Guard (The Roman Emperor's personal bodyguard). The
horde of guards first killed the emperor Platinmax, then offered
the empire to the highest bidder. Didius Julianus won the bid.
The purchase was short-lived as Didius was beheaded two months
later by Septimus Severus.
From the end of the Roman Empire to the eighteenth century
auctions lost favour in Europe. After the French Revolution
daily auctions were held in taverns and coffee houses, where art
was mainly sold.
Sotheby's, the world second-largest auction house, held it's
first auction in 1744. The largest auction house Christies was
established in 1766. During the American Civil War, booty seized
by opposing armies was sold by auction by the Colonel of the
division. To this day many auctioneers, in the United States go
by the title, 'Colonel;'.
The most common used style of auction today is the open
ascending price auction, otherwise known as the English Auction.
Here participants openly bid against each other, with each
subsequent bid being higher than the previous one.
While auctions may be one of the most efficient ways of
disposing of property, I can't help but think back to the times
when I had to attend the public auctions of repossessed houses
on behalf of the building society I used work for. There we
were, with our lawyers (or insolvency accountants), making sure
that our interests were adequately protected. It was all very
officious, clinical and without emotion.
Often times the people who had lost their homes would also show
an 'interest' in the sale and attend. They on the other hand
were emotional and invariably silent. Their rights long since
evaporated by a system which pulses as though with life, yet is
lifeless. For it has no feeling. In order to survive, it cannot.
Funny thing, when we granted the bond we never told the borrower
what it would be like at an auction in the event of foreclosure.
Maybe it wasn't necessary, because nobody ever sees trouble when
buying. Yeah sure.
Chat again next week.
80 Jarige onthul
haar kunswerke
Merkwaardige, beskeie en bejaarde skilder is Vrydag 4 September
deur die ATKV by die Pretoriaskou vereer. Sy het op 80-jarige
ouderdom vir die eerste keer van haar kunswerke by
ATKV Centurion se Vaardigheidsekspo by die Pretoria Skou aan die
publiek vertoon.
Rina de Villiers het diplomas in Onderwys- en Museumstudies
verwerf, 'n graad in die Kunste, 'n Honneursgraad in
Kultuurstudies en op 69 jarige ouderdom 'n Meestersgraad oor een
van ons bekendste skilders, J.H. Pierneef, met lof verwerf. Sy
was eers onderwyser. Daarna was sy baie jare aan verskeie
museums soos die Pretoria Kunsmuseum en Nasionale
Kultuurhistoriese Museum verbonde waar sy onder andere gidse
opgelei het en later as kurator menigte kunsuitstallings gereël
en aangebied het - uit beskeidenheid altyd sonder haar eie
unieke kunswerke waarvan baie min mense bewus was.
Sy het vanjaar op tagtigjarige ouderdom vir die eerste keer van
haar kunswerke aan die publiek by die ATKV Centurion se
Vaardigheidsekspo by die Pretoriaskou vertoon. Foto van die
toekenning aan haar op ons webwerf www.tak.co.za
'n Groter verskeidenheid van haar meer as 300 kunswerke is nog
tot Sondag 20 September by die Nasionale Kultuurhistoriese
Museum in Skinnerstraat in Pretoria te sien. Sy is vandag
rolstoelgebonde en is Vrydag 4 September deur die ATKV by die
Pretoriaskou vereer.
Zithulele Dlamini, nog 'n ander kunstenaar wat drie jaar gelede
ook by die Pretoriaskou deur ons vereer is, is sedertdien elke
jaar deel van ons Vaardigheidsekspo, Sy grootste begeerte is om
'n bestuurderslisensie te bekom.
Hy is sonder hande gebore en sy unieke kunswerke is ook by die
Vaardigheidsekspo te sien.
Gestremde leerders van Transoranje Skool vir Dowes,
Prinshofskool vir Blindes, die Sonitusskool en Via Novaskool se
handewerk is ook by die ATKV Centurion se Vaardigheidsekspo, wat
vanjaar op die vaardighede van gestremdes fokus, in Saal H te
sien.
ATKV Centurion het ook Vrydag 4 September 'n Loslitdagprogram
ten bate van gestremdes, namens en in samewerking met die
Pretoriaskou, by die ABSA Inligtingstoring aangebied.
Sport was vanjaar die tema van Loslitdag ten bate van gestremdes
(Vrydag 4 September)
Uitstallers en Skoubesoekers is genooi om die Skou in sportdrag
te besoek en hul Loslitkaartjie by ATKV Centurion se
Vaardigheidsekspo in Saal H te kom koop. Die Loslitdagprogram
het uit musiek-, sang- en dansitems deur gestremdes bestaan;
Toekenning aan Rina de Villiers;
Bekendstelling van 'n nuwe Afrikaanse Sokkerliedjie waaraan
gestremdes ook deelgeneem het;
en 'n Uitstalling van Rina de Villiers, Zithulele Dlamini en
gestremde leerders se handewerk in Saal H.
Sondag 6 September was Internasionale Biddag vir die Dowe en is
daar om 12:00 by die Skou se Inligtingstoring 'n program vir
Dowes deur Dowes aangebied. Skougangers is ook genooi om dit by
te woon.
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