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| Keno Brothers, ‘Antiques Roadshow’ Stars, Face Debt and Legal Challenge | Keno Brothers, ‘Antiques Roadshow’ Stars, Face Debt and Legal Challenge |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| For decades the Keno brothers — telegenic twins and widely acknowledged experts on Americana and vintage automobiles — have been perhaps the country’s highest-profile antique dealers. | For decades the Keno brothers — telegenic twins and widely acknowledged experts on Americana and vintage automobiles — have been perhaps the country’s highest-profile antique dealers. |
| Leslie Keno was once a director of American furniture and decorative arts at Sotheby’s. Leigh Keno was a highly regarded specialist at Christie’s. | Leslie Keno was once a director of American furniture and decorative arts at Sotheby’s. Leigh Keno was a highly regarded specialist at Christie’s. |
| They now have their own furniture brand, lecture regularly and have appeared as celebrity appraisers on all 20 seasons of “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS. | They now have their own furniture brand, lecture regularly and have appeared as celebrity appraisers on all 20 seasons of “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS. |
| “Our audience fell in love with them and made them stars,” said Marsha Bemko, that show’s executive producer. | “Our audience fell in love with them and made them stars,” said Marsha Bemko, that show’s executive producer. |
| But their behavior in recent months has been oddly out of sync with their stature as antique world luminaries. A buying spree this spring left them with nearly $600,000 in debt and spurred legal action from two auction houses. | But their behavior in recent months has been oddly out of sync with their stature as antique world luminaries. A buying spree this spring left them with nearly $600,000 in debt and spurred legal action from two auction houses. |
| More bizarrely, in several instances during one auction, the brothers, who are partners in at least one business, bid against each other. Their competing efforts sent the price of routine items soaring, according to court papers. | More bizarrely, in several instances during one auction, the brothers, who are partners in at least one business, bid against each other. Their competing efforts sent the price of routine items soaring, according to court papers. |
| At that auction in April, for example, by New Orleans Auction Galleries, the Kenos bid against each other about 50 times for a Turkish Angora carpet, according to court papers filed by the auction house. One brother bid by phone, the other online. After a few opening bids, no one else competed for the rug. The item, with a low estimate of $800, ended up being bought by Leslie for $14,500. | At that auction in April, for example, by New Orleans Auction Galleries, the Kenos bid against each other about 50 times for a Turkish Angora carpet, according to court papers filed by the auction house. One brother bid by phone, the other online. After a few opening bids, no one else competed for the rug. The item, with a low estimate of $800, ended up being bought by Leslie for $14,500. |
| Then he did not pay for it. | Then he did not pay for it. |
| The auction house says the brothers bid against each other, with similar results, at least two other times. Leigh successfully bid $7,250 for an Italian painting, which had a low estimate of $400, and $1,600 for a Louis XVI-style bed, which had a low estimate of $300, each time beating out his brother, the court papers said. | The auction house says the brothers bid against each other, with similar results, at least two other times. Leigh successfully bid $7,250 for an Italian painting, which had a low estimate of $400, and $1,600 for a Louis XVI-style bed, which had a low estimate of $300, each time beating out his brother, the court papers said. |
| The suit accuses them of “auction misconduct, which resulted in unjustifiably higher purchase prices of auction items.” | The suit accuses them of “auction misconduct, which resulted in unjustifiably higher purchase prices of auction items.” |
| All told, the brothers bought 244 items at the April auction, and then did not pay the $400,000 bill. They were also sued by Kamelot Auctions in Philadelphia, where they bought 89 items in May but did not pay the bill of nearly $200,000, according to the company’s lawyer, Anthony Gallia. | |
| Leslie told the New Orleans auction house in an email that the dual bidding was just a silly mix-up between two brothers who, in their excitement, became confused. | Leslie told the New Orleans auction house in an email that the dual bidding was just a silly mix-up between two brothers who, in their excitement, became confused. |
| “This was a situation where my brother thought I was bidding on the lot, and I thought HE was bidding on it,” Leslie said in an email to the auction house in May. “We made a mistake, and I would hope that given the amount of property we purchased, you would forgive us for this mistake.” | “This was a situation where my brother thought I was bidding on the lot, and I thought HE was bidding on it,” Leslie said in an email to the auction house in May. “We made a mistake, and I would hope that given the amount of property we purchased, you would forgive us for this mistake.” |
| The auction house recorded Leslie during the sale saying that he and his brother were buying auction items “together,” according to its court papers. | The auction house recorded Leslie during the sale saying that he and his brother were buying auction items “together,” according to its court papers. |
| Shawn C. Reed, a lawyer for the New Orleans auction house, says the dual bidding is mystifying. | Shawn C. Reed, a lawyer for the New Orleans auction house, says the dual bidding is mystifying. |
| “In hindsight, we cannot explain why they were bidding against each other,” she said. | “In hindsight, we cannot explain why they were bidding against each other,” she said. |
| The brothers, who never took possession of the items they bid on, said they were too busy to be interviewed by The New York Times. In a joint email statement they did not directly address why they had been willing to pay escalated prices on some items except to say, “As specialists in our business, we seek ‘hidden treasures,’ and as researchers, we search for unique provenance of every object.” | The brothers, who never took possession of the items they bid on, said they were too busy to be interviewed by The New York Times. In a joint email statement they did not directly address why they had been willing to pay escalated prices on some items except to say, “As specialists in our business, we seek ‘hidden treasures,’ and as researchers, we search for unique provenance of every object.” |
| As for the nonpayments, the brothers blamed cash flow. | As for the nonpayments, the brothers blamed cash flow. |
| “It was a temporary issue of liquidity, unprecedented for them but hardly unheard-of in the auction business,” said their lawyer, Brad E. Harrigan. | “It was a temporary issue of liquidity, unprecedented for them but hardly unheard-of in the auction business,” said their lawyer, Brad E. Harrigan. |
| Recently the brothers paid off a portion — $70,000 — of the New Orleans bill, and will pay the remainder soon, Mr. Harrigan said. Late last week they settled the Philadelphia case, according to Mr. Gallia, the lawyer for Kamelot. | |
| Still, these are not the kind of mishaps that antique experts have come to expect from two auction veterans who each received the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush in 2005. (In 2008, they accompanied the first lady, Laura Bush, on a televised tour of the White House.) | Still, these are not the kind of mishaps that antique experts have come to expect from two auction veterans who each received the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush in 2005. (In 2008, they accompanied the first lady, Laura Bush, on a televised tour of the White House.) |
| The Kenos grew up in the Mohawk Valley countryside in upstate New York, the sons of antique enthusiast parents, and were doing business on their own by age 12. | The Kenos grew up in the Mohawk Valley countryside in upstate New York, the sons of antique enthusiast parents, and were doing business on their own by age 12. |
| Leslie is a graduate of Williams College, and served nearly 26 years at Sotheby’s. Leigh holds a degree in art history from Hamilton College. | Leslie is a graduate of Williams College, and served nearly 26 years at Sotheby’s. Leigh holds a degree in art history from Hamilton College. |
| The brothers, 59, are partners in an art advisory business, according to court papers, as well as their furniture brand. Leigh also has a Manhattan auction business. Jointly they wrote “Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture” (2000), for which they received a $1 million book contract, according to New York magazine. | The brothers, 59, are partners in an art advisory business, according to court papers, as well as their furniture brand. Leigh also has a Manhattan auction business. Jointly they wrote “Hidden Treasures: Searching for Masterpieces of American Furniture” (2000), for which they received a $1 million book contract, according to New York magazine. |
| They have also been class judges at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car show in California. And Leigh is on the board of the Appraisers Association of America. | They have also been class judges at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car show in California. And Leigh is on the board of the Appraisers Association of America. |
| In their joint email to The Times, the brothers said that they were “in the midst of several separate initiatives” and expected to make good on the rest of their debts in the short term. | In their joint email to The Times, the brothers said that they were “in the midst of several separate initiatives” and expected to make good on the rest of their debts in the short term. |
| Similarly, in an email sent in May to the New Orleans auction house, Leigh said they had plans to sell “literally a National Treasure” of their own. | Similarly, in an email sent in May to the New Orleans auction house, Leigh said they had plans to sell “literally a National Treasure” of their own. |
| “I have never paid a bill late, nor do I believe, has my brother,” he wrote to the auction house. “The day that we receive the funds in our account, payment will be made to you in full.” | “I have never paid a bill late, nor do I believe, has my brother,” he wrote to the auction house. “The day that we receive the funds in our account, payment will be made to you in full.” |
| The outstanding bills are not insignificant to the smaller auction houses involved. “We have never had an unpaid invoice of this size,” said Ashton Thomas, president of the New Orleans auction house. | The outstanding bills are not insignificant to the smaller auction houses involved. “We have never had an unpaid invoice of this size,” said Ashton Thomas, president of the New Orleans auction house. |
| The Keno brothers volunteer their services to “Antiques Roadshow,” and while their appearances have raised their profiles, they are also completely unpaid. The twins are appearing in the season currently airing, and are part of the filming for next season, said Ms. Bemko, the producer. | The Keno brothers volunteer their services to “Antiques Roadshow,” and while their appearances have raised their profiles, they are also completely unpaid. The twins are appearing in the season currently airing, and are part of the filming for next season, said Ms. Bemko, the producer. |
| “They have a real passion for what they do,” she said | “They have a real passion for what they do,” she said |
| She attributed their success partly to personalities that are as pleasant offscreen as on. She said that she hoped any troubles would blow over and that she looked forward to them continuing their role. | She attributed their success partly to personalities that are as pleasant offscreen as on. She said that she hoped any troubles would blow over and that she looked forward to them continuing their role. |
| “I hope it is business as usual,” she said. | “I hope it is business as usual,” she said. |