Appraising Works of Art

Appraising Image

A GUIDE

Appraisal Requests

ASV is often asked to appraise a work of art. We do not appraise work. Neither do faculty or gallery administrators at schools nor museum personnel, so it is not useful to look for help from these sources. Art appraising is an entirely specialized field that takes into account current and historic information from auction houses that specialize in art.

If you are not willing or certain that you should pay for an appraisal, you can start by searching the Internet for auctions and galleries with art that is similar to the piece that you are researching. You can check the Balch Research Library at the LA County Art Museum, http://www.lacma.org/general-information#barl which subscribes to auction databases that indicate current market values.

Then if you think the work shows some promise, it may be worth the cost of a professional appraiser. Some will give you initial time to generally assess your case. But they will not give you a specific evaluation without payment.

How To Have Art Appraised?

Listed below are several art appraisers in Indiana and Illinois. This is probably not an exhaustive list. You may wish to search for others on the Internet or contact one of the associations listed further down.

Indiana Art Appraisers

Appraisal Associates International 3746 Westlake Court West Lafayette, IN 47906 (765) 463-1270 aaiappraisals@comcast.net  www.aaiappraisals.com

Brady Dreasher ISA CAPP, GPPA, CES  5126 E 65th Street Indianapolis, IN 46220 (317) 373-8845, www.ArtofEstates.com,  Brady@ArtofEstates.com

Art of Estates is a nationwide fine and decorative art team of specialists with more than 40 years of combined experience in the museum, gallery, auction, history, appraisal and private consulting field. Insurance, equitable distribution, divorce, IRS donation and estate taxes are the core services. Brady Dreasher, ISA CAPP, GPPA, CES is the Indiana coordinator, recipient of the 2015 Leadership Award from the International Society of Appraisers, regularly featured raising money for non-profits at regional appraisal fairs and in publications from Miami, New York City, Dallas, Hollywood and the UK. Specialty: Decorative & Fine Art, Design & Luxury Goods from the 18th, 19th, 20th & 21st Century.

Illinois Art Appraisers

Jacob Fine Art 7544 W. North Avenue Chicago IL 60707  (708) 452-1450 jane@jacobfineart.com www.jacobfineart.com/

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. ISA, ASA, USPAP Qualified 307 N Michigan Ave, Suite #308 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 814-8510 info@mirappraisal.com  www.mirappraisal.com

Each of the senior appraisers has over twenty years of appraisal experience. All appraisers are accredited members of the International Society of Appraisers and or the American Society of Appraisers. Our professional appraisal reports are accepted by all insurance companies and written in conformity with USPAP. We specialize in personal property, including but not limited to fine art, antiques, furniture, jewelry, silver, gold, porcelain, and fine rugs. Our clientele includes government agencies, universities and schools, religious institutions, and private individuals.

Susanin’s Auctioneers & Appraisers, 900 South Clinton Street, Chicago, IL 60607,  (312) 832-9800,  info@susanins.com http://www.susanins.com

Associations That List Fine Art Appraisers

The LA County Museum suggests that one can locate an appraiser that matches one’s needs by calling or visiting the websites of the following professional associations:

American Society of Appraisers (ASA) 800-272-8258 http://www.appraisers.org

International Society of Appraisers (ISA) 312-981-6778 (Chicago) http://www.isa-appraisers.org

Appraisers Association of America (AAA) 212-889-5404 (New York) http://www.appraisersassoc.org

 

You can check for the nearest branch of these auction houses:

Christie’s,  310-385-2600, Los Angeles  http://www.christies.com/

Bonhams & Butterfields  323-850-7500 Los Angeles, http://www.bonhams.com/usa/home/

This auction house also features valuation days when patrons can bring in a limited number of artworks for a brief appraisal.

4 Replies to “Appraising Works of Art”

  1. Interesting web sight. We appreciate you listing us. Would like to up date our info.
    Jacob Fine Art, inc.
    715 Lake St., Ste 812
    Oak Park, IL 60301
    708-358-0049
    Thank you!

  2. Dear Mr. Jakob,
    Thank you for requesting an update for Jakob Fine Art back in September on our Art Space Vincenes LLC website, on which I listed a number of appraisers. I just made the update as requested. Best wishes, in 2021!

    Andy Jendrzejewski

  3. Thanks for sharing how if your work shows promise then maybe you should pay for a professional appraiser. My nephew has been making art and it looks really good. So I’ll see what I can do about getting an appraiser to come look at it.

  4. An appraiser will probably not be helpful, if your nephew lacks a documented history of selling. You will have wasted your money. The best thing your nephew can do is to stay in the studio, hone his or her skills, apply for grants, show the work and get a wide reputation. An uncle can’t really do that for the artist. All you can do is encourage, support. There is no easy way to be an artist. There are flukes, there are fortunate connections, but those are rare and might not offer the freedom that an artist would like. It has to be your nephew to be willing to pound the pavement and find connections.

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