Artfest International, Inc (fka ARTS)

[Kool Aid Man]

TPF Associates is still listed online as an audio/ visual production facility located at 2229 Cockrell Ave, Dallas, TX --the history of which tells you a lot about how EV evolved into the schmuck he is today.

This dilapidated space is located in a south Dallas industrial ghetto a.k.a. "Little Baghdad" (so named because the block of buildings was converted into an Iraqi street scene for the 2003 TV propaganda film "Saving Pvt. Jessica Lynch"). The block of buildings was owned by Eddie's arch enemy Jack Stadtman of Advanced Art -(AA) 2200 Cockrell Ave.. you can look up the history here: http://www.dallascad.org/SearchAddr.aspx)

Even before Eddie even heard of the International Galleries, Inc product based pyramid scheme, he saw the potential of making big money selling art via MLM. You see, for years there was a giant company in Dallas called "Home Interiors & Gifts." HIG was founded in 1957 by Mary Crowley --sister-in-law of cosmetics queen Mary Kay Ash-- as a "poor person's interior decoration service. Basically they provided pre-selected accents they described as "anything for your tables and walls." HIG was eventually run by her son, Don Carter, who used a bit of his HIG money to purchase the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Interiors_and_Gifts

Long story short, Dallas Woodcraft (DW) was a major vendor of framed art prints to HI and Jack's dad was one of the 2 partners. When his dad dies, the other exercised his buy/sell agreement and bought out his former partner. That left Jack out in the cold..but with a buttload of cash. So Jack ramps up his own mini-version of DW and became a vendor of framed art to HIG as well.

Several years back, Jack buys a huge lot of investment quality, limited edition prints for pennies on the dollar from --who else-- Thomas Kinkade. So Jack frames em and unloads em (under the name "Mill Creek") with closeout discounter "Tuesday Morning." This action unleashes a firestorm of protests from collectors who had spent hundreds and thousands for the same prints at Kinkade's own authorized galleries. The lawsuits start flying.

Anyway, somehow Eddie weasles his way into Jack's graces and sets up shop in one of his run-down warehouses. Then IGI pops up so Jack, Eddie, Jim Shore, Whitbread and a few other nimrods decide to launch their own direct selling version. Before long they were screwing each other, fighting, suing and counter suing. Somewhere along the way former Dallas area billionaire Tom Hicks (owner Clearchannel media, Dallas Stars Hockey, Texas Rangers etc) buys HIG and proceeds to hire experts to fix what ain't broke. In no time, HIG as well as Jack's AA are bankrupt.

But their spectacular failures are only partly due to their incompetence and mismanagement. The truth is that the entire art and collectibles industry has been on the skids for over a decade now as witnessed by countless bankruptcies such as Lennox, Wedgewood, Waterford Crystal, Hoebel/ Hummel, Department 56, Enesco, the Franklin Mint, Danbury Mint, BC Sports Collectibles, THOMAS KINKADE, various doll and figurine companies and many more. Yet despite all this.. despite vast changes in public taste and economic realities...

TO THIS DAY EDDIE VAKSER STILL CITES "HOME INTERIORS & GIFTS" AS THE SORT OF BUSINESS MODEL HE WANTS TO EMULATE. In truth he just wants you to believe there's still the same demand, enthusiasm and money for such nonsense. They aint.