European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ose Mensing Josef Mensing was making sauerkraut when the German army drafted  he Gal out 25 years ego he wello a banker and asked for a loan. Without collateral. Because of the family s reputation Mensing Gol the loan and began blocking an Art gallery today at 48. Mensing says he owns Europe s largest Art gallery and that about s percent of his business is with americana. Art historian Andrew Langel and new York dealers contacted by the stars and stripes were critical of Mensing s business practices. They said his sales methods were deceptive his artists unknown in America their work forgettable and overpriced. There is Little Chance for appreciation despite Mensing s claim they Are investment  As i see this material this advertising comes on pretty Slick Stangel said. The Art appeals to our gis. It s oversold i would t buy this stuff with your  nonetheless Janet Spaulding former co chairman of the Bazaar and now president of the Heilbronn officers and civilians wives club said Mensing is second in popularity among 21 vendors. A lot of people like his oils she said. And people Are willing to pay his Price in this Community for an Oil. They re not willing to pay As much for a  at last year s Bazaar he sold about $5,000 Worth of oils making him the second most productive Vendor. The club earned $500 in commission. He s very Good Spaulding said. The reason he Sells so much is he offers the payment plan and hell Lake Trade ins i Haven t heard of any complaints. Well invite him to our next  the experts criticized tha Quality of Mensing s Art which is popular in the military Community. What he s trying to sell Are decorative paintings that soldiers can Alford said Herbert Arnot a new York dealer of contemporary american and european oils. The does t mean it s Worth what they re paying. They re nothing special. I feel sorry for these soldiers Arnot said. Most of them probably know almost nothing about Art if i was a commander 1 would t Lei my soldiers buy this Art especially if these soldiers Are buying it for investment  Arnot. A former service member said Mensing s and Campaign is aimed Al  Donna Carlson of the Art dealers association of America said reputable dealers Don t advertise any Art As investment Art. You just can t say what Art will be an investment she said. It s impossible. And it s a terrible Way to sell Art. It s not a Good attitude for a dealer to have it s Fust not the Way prestigious dealers advertise at . S gallery which Sells paintings drawings graphics and posters director Oense Moore criticized Mensing s ads. She said . S Sells absolutely no Art As an investment in act. We decided at a sales Mealing awhile Back that any employee telling customers that what they were buying was an investment would be fired Moore said. To even say it s a Good value is borderline. The Rule is buyer beware. Do your Homework. Do background checks on artists before you buy their  Mensing insists his Art is an investment and says it s Legallo advertise it As such in Germany. He defended his and practice. Yet on june 24, during an interview at his gallery Mensing said if there is a suggestion that what we re doing is unethical Well change it  the new York dealers called Many of Mensing s practices gimmicks to at real customers. For example Mensing compares several of his artists to John Constable a 19lh Century English landscape Painter whom Art historians rank among the elite. Its blasphemous to compare this dribble to Constable Stangel said. Nobody in the world would make that comparison. Nobody who paints this stuff can be compared to  Mensing discounts pictures 10 percent from the list Price. Salesmen can discount them More. He also offers americans a favourable Exchange rate. Earlier this year when the Dollar was Worth 2.20 Marks Mensing s Exchange rate was 2.50, customers can make monthly instalments interest free for four months or Al 1 percent a month if the payments take longer. Meaning says a has 60 artists under contract and that they sell All their works through him. They charge by the piece but the rate is fixed by the time it takes to pain the picture Mensing sometimes directs his painters to make so paintings of a Motif popular with americans. Art by the Yard Stangel called it. Schlock Art a new York dealer said. Most of Mensing s artists Are not listed in Standard Art guides. None of the new York dealers recognized their names or their works. Mensing is asking $227,000 for drinking trough at the Oasis an Oil by German Painter Christian Adolph Schreyer. Langel could not find Schreyer s name in any reference Book this Man is no giant in the history of Art he said. \ Lour  Dull top fld of ate at Liz mrs t. Page 14 the stars and stripes