Art Appraisals the easy way

Why look into art appraisals? The #1 reason why people look into getting their art appraised, is so that they can buy or sell for fair price in the marketplace. There's nothing worse than senselessly losing money or getting duped into paying thousands of dollars for something that's not worth the materials used to make it. Don't get caught up in private seller trickery! See how an art appraisal can protect your art investment today.

Many art appraisals can be done on your own if you're utilizing auctions on eBay, for a small piece worth a few hundred dollars. Other times, you may want to consult a professional who will help you get the most out of your art investment. An art appraisal is important for determining "market value" for sales purposes, as well as "replacement value" for tax or insurance purposes.

Whether you're looking to buy or sell fine art, art appraisals are a quintessential first step. Frequently you hear about people who've paid 75% more than the market value for a particular piece, or conversely you hear about people who've bought a painting at a garage sale for a few dollars, only to find out that it is worth over a million dollars! To be on the winning side, it's a good idea to get your work appraised, ideally by a professional. While it will cost a few dollars initially, the money you'll save by getting top dollar or the best value will be far greater.

There are several steps in getting an art appraisal. First of all, note whether you have original artwork, and if it was directly created by the artist. If you are unsure, visit a frame shop or art gallery to help you figure out if you have a print or the original.

Next, find the artist signature to ascertain the artist. Some auction houses will accept works without a discernable signature, so long as you provide clear pictures. Thirdly, gauge the condition of the art you possess. Are there any rips, signs of over-painting or corrections? Has the color faded, are there watermarks or does it need cleaning? Never try to fix a painting up by yourself! There are professional restoration experts who can carefully, gently improve the overall appearance of the work, without making it obvious.

If this painting has been handed down from generation to generation, or owned by prominent figures, then the value of your piece could increase significantly, although it's rare to find paintings with complete ownership/artists records. You can check with the Fine Art Registry to see if your piece has ever been tagged and logged into the system.

After that, you can look up artist or auction result information on a site like AskArt.com or FindArtInfo.com. They are invaluable arts resources for such things as art appraisals, when it comes to researching a piece of artwork in your collection. You can view the highest auction prices, and subscribers can view all auction results for each individual artist on AskArt. On FindArtInfo, non-members can browse a particular artist's sold artwork and view a listing of the date sold, title, medium, size and price. To view the pieces and get full access to other information (like where it was sold, or where to find similar pieces, etc), you will need to pay for a $4/day or $15/month subscription.

It never hurts to do a little digging on your own to get a general idea of the marketplace and what art appraisals will cost. AskArt.com or FindArtInfo.com offer both free and subscription levels of viewing the selling prices of various artists. See if your piece is selling for hundreds, thousands or millions before deciding whether or not you're in need of an official art appraisal.

Sometimes you may come across a place that is willing to provide free art appraisals. While at first this may seem like a fantastic deal, one should exercise caution. Sometimes these criminals are simply looking to buy your artwork for cheap and resell it at a higher value! You may think you're getting more money than anticipated, but it could be a fraction of what the appraiser can get for it! A smarter do-it-yourself tactic would be to simply peruse AskArt.com or FindArtInfo.com for a list of current market values. However, be aware that these prices are just a rough ballpark figure and can often be deceiving.

You may find yourself strapped for time and gumption. Trying to guesstimate the price of your artwork may not be suitable, if you're looking to sell for top dollar, or if you know your piece is worth a lot of money.

In this case, it's wise to check out the Art Dealers Association of America. They've been doing art appraisals for over 40 years and have seen more than 23,000 works, some with total values exceeding 2 billion. Additionally, one may find not-for-profit appraisals at the American Society of Appraisers, the International Society of Appraisers or the Appraisers Association of America. Be aware that the price for a fine art appraisal may be $250 or more.

The most ideal method for art appraisals is to hire a professional. The Art Dealers Association of America, American Society of Appraisers, the International Society of Appraisers or the Appraisers Association of America are all safe bets for getting top dollar for your work.

While you may be able to look up what similar paintings were worth at auctions, there's no guarantee that your particular painting or watercolor art is worth as much or as little. The condition, ownership and authenticity all affect what it is worth in the marketplace. Also, since things change so frequently, what a painting sold for a year ago may have tripled by this exact moment in time.

The danger of the do-it-yourself approach, of course, is that art price lists can be very inaccurate and deceiving. For instance, fine art may sell at bargain prices if an auction is poorly promoted or if bidders are uninformed.

Secondly, private sales can be much higher than auctions, so if you're looking for top dollar, you won't find it in auction results. If an artist's range is wide (say, $1,000 to $100,000), then it's a good idea to get a professional opinion.

Thirdly, historical significance and current marketplace activity can affect the supply and demand of your fine art for sale. Lastly, professional art appraisals can help pair you with the most valuable collectors by subject matter.

Check with the Art Dealers Association of America, American Society of Appraisers, the International Society of Appraisers or the Appraisers Association of America for an honest art appraisal of your exquisite masterpiece