‘Antiques Roadshow’ skilled claims purchaser scammed his public sale home

A celeb antiques skilled 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 recuperate the money.

Leigh Keno, who alongside together 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 price of things at a time, and at all times paid the invoice.

“The checks did not bounce,” he mentioned.

The client, whose identify seems to be Chihyu Lu however goes by Grace Lu, then went purchasing 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 mentioned.

She tallied up $178,450 price of products, which Keno mentioned he let her take with a promise to pay later.

Leigh Keno claims that he let Grace Lu take house $178,450 price of merchandise with the promise to pay later however she solely paid a small fraction of the invoice earlier than disappearing.

“I kick myself that I allowed it to occur,” mentioned Keno who runs Keno Auctions on the Higher East Aspect. “I have been within the enterprise of my total life. That is the primary time that this has occurred.”

Lu took about 40 items in July 2020, paying $45,000 however then refusing at hand over the steadiness of $133,450, based on a lawsuit filed by the public sale home towards Lu within the Manhattan state Supreme Courtroom in 2021.

Lu claims that she tried to resell among the gadgets and was advised they gave the impression to be “later copies,” based on courtroom papers.

Among the many gadgets the girl allegedly stole was a dragon-carved show cupboard.

Keno mentioned the gadgets weren’t represented as antiques from a selected interval and that Lu had seen 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 below a distinct identify, shopping for up virtually half of the sale, Keno mentioned. He mentioned when his employees realized it was the identical individual they advised her to pay her total invoice after which by no means heard again.

Keno mentioned he was talking out as a result of Lu was allegedly taking different public sale homes for a trip.

The public sale home is suing Grace Lu over the unpaid invoice. JCRice

Since 2020, she has bid on greater than $230,000 price of treasures offered by varied public sale homes by means of the Stay Auctioneers web sites and by no means accomplished the transactions, based on paperwork reviewed by The Submit.

Amongst these she allegedly stiffed was David Killen, who runs an eponymous public sale home in Chelsea. He advised The Submit that Lu was the successful bidder on about $13,000 in Asian objects a month in the past and refused to pay for the products or decide them up.

Profitable an merchandise at public sale is taken into account a authorized settlement to purchase it, he mentioned.

Leigh Keno says he is talking out as a result of Grace Lu is scamming different public sale homes as nicely. JCRice

Killen mentioned they might lose worth if positioned up for public sale once more.

“Folks assume, ‘Oh, there have to be one thing unsuitable with it as a result of the one who purchased it by no means paid for it,’ ” he mentioned. “It will get what we name within the enterprise a nasty odor to it.”

Killen mentioned he lastly bought Lu to select up and pay for her gadgets this week when he advised her one other purchaser was prepared to spend 1000’s for the $900 “sword leg” desk she gained. He mentioned she got here speeding in to get it and pay her invoice.

Lu didn’t instantly return requests for remark.

Courtroom papers say Grace Lu tried to resell among the items solely to seek out out they have been later copies and never antiques.