Art Appraisal

Art Investors, collectors and artists interested in obtaining an appraisal for their work have several options to uncover the true market value of their art. Whether you have a collection of works or an individual piece that you wish to sell or simply want to know how well your investment is doing, there are tools and services available to help you reveal the hidden dollar worth of rare and valuable art work.

Self Appraisal - Most galleries that offer appraisals require an upfront fee for valuing personal collections. If you consider yourself something of an expert and are comfortable doing most of the research yourself there are a few methods to help you find the value of your artwork on your own.

One quick and inexpensive method of appraising your work is to take it to a pawn shop. Keep in mind that they will most likely valuate the item at 1/10th to 1/2 the estimated value. This is not a truly accurate assessment but it is a good place to start.

The next place you should check is ebay.com and other online auction sites. Search for artwork that is similar to yours which have already sold. This will give you an idea of what the market will bear for artwork that is closely related to your own.

Once you've completed your research in the public sector you should have a fair idea of what your piece is valued at. From there you can dig a bit deeper and see if the artist has a website which you can compare your work against the the value of comparable pieces listed on their website. Another option, if possible is to contact the artist directly. Knowing as much as possible about the creator of your work and the history of each piece is very important in determining the true value of your collection.

If you are confident with your research and believe that your self appraisal has yeilded a satisfactory results for your work you should document your findings and list your references for future use. If you decide to sell the artwork based on your appraisal it would help to include these notes in the listing and as part of the sale of your piece. However, if you feel that you have a rare and valuable piece you would be well served to have a professional appraisal done on the work before offering it for sale. This will help protect you and your buyer.

Professional Art Appraisal:
If you are interested in a professional appraisal of your art work we can help you. Please send photos and descriptions along with estimated value and any additional information you think might be helpful and we will assign one of our preferred art appraisers to your case.

Please note we only accept requests from serious collectors and investors. There is a fee for this service and you will be required to pay all fees up front. We enjoy helping others with their collections but a professional appraisal requires extensive research and is conducted by a professional appraiser with years of training and experience and this can only be offered as a paid service.

To begin the art appraisal process please complete the Art Appraisal Request form below. Upon receipt of your request you may be asked to provide us with photos and additional information about your art work. Be sure to include your contact information so that our appraiser can reach you directly. Once we have all necessary information our appraiser will will determine the cost and turnaround time for your appraisal and contact you for payment.

Upon completion of your appraisal we may offer you an opportunity to sell your art work through an auction or one of our websites either for an additional fee or a commission upon completion of the transaction.

See our section on Selling Art for more information.