Would you go to an osteopath for brain surgery? Or take your car to a vacuum cleaner repair service for a tune-up? Of course not. Then why do so many people forge ahead without asking the most obvious questions? Take, for example, the case of Michael. He himself was not a collector of rare books, but when he inherited a leather-bound, first edition set of Kipling’s works from his grandmother’s estate, he was eminently pleased. As it happened, the leather on three of the books was disintegrating. Being a man of action, he hiked them to a bookbinder and at considerable expense, had the three books rebound in a similar (though different) red leather and thus, with one well-intentioned and ignorant move, destroyed the value of his books. It makes you want to weep! Why did he not first investigate the market, ask around for a conservator of old paper and old books? Why did he not first find out that a restored book should retain as much of the original material as possible? That any new leather used should be carefully toned to match? That new material should be in keeping with the style and the time in which the book was produced?
Oh, but there are horror stories in the world of art! Mrs. C. was in her 80s when it became clear that she could no longer manage and maintain her huge stone house with its antique furniture and fine paintings. She came from an old and distinguished family and some of her English and American pieces had been in the family for generations: Queen Anne chairs and 18th century porcelain, Civil War memorabilia, and exquisite Oriental rugs. There were Zuni and Acoma pots from the 1880s and enamels, engravings and paintings from the early decades of the 19th century. Some items were valuable in and of themselves but had, in addition, both a sentimental and a spiritual dimension – they were steeped in the memories of her family history. They were priceless.
But she was old, her health failing. She had fears about financial security. She came to a decision. She gave some of the larger pieces to her grandchildren, then sent the entire contents of the rest of the house to the local auction house without an appraisal. Her children, nieces and nephews didn’t even have the chance to offer to buy her treasures. They would have loved to, and would have paid full price. But by then Mrs. C. could no more have handled the complexity of the transaction than she could have managed to have the articles appraised piece by piece. She dumped them all at auction – priceless items sold in a local sort of flea-market auction house!
What would you have done? First of all, you would hopefully not have waited so long to deal with such an important aspect of being a collector of beautiful and valuable things. Beyond that, it is a good idea to consult with professionals who are not in a position to earn any money as a result of the advice they are giving you. You could start by calling the conservation department of the nearest museum. Most museums are willing to offer suggestions, or the names of trustworthy professionals in the area.
I know another woman who sold two items at auction though she had not intended to. Here’s how it came about. She had two pieces of furniture that she was considering selling. One was an antique military camp bed complete with canopy and in good condition, the other a modern black leather chair – the original of which can be seen in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She knew that she needed an appraisal and called her local auction house (the same one through which Mrs. C. sold her items). “I’m thinking of selling two pieces of furniture,” she said. “I want an appraisal. How do I do this? Do I bring you photos?” She was told no, that someone would come to the house and look.
On the appointed day she was surprised to see four workmen arrive in a truck. They said they were there to take the pieces to the auction house, and that she would receive an appraisal once the authorities had seen them. She thought it odd. “But what if I don’t decide to sell?” “No matter, they can be returned.” “Isn’t it easier to do it by photo?” “Do you want it,” they pressed her, “or not?” Hesitation. But the workmen were staring at her. “All right, yes.” She signed papers authorizing removal of the pieces and watched the workmen load them on the truck.
Weeks passed. She heard nothing. Finally she phoned to ask about her pieces, but the auction house would have to call her back when they found the paperwork. A week later she received an envelope in the mail. She ripped it open, anxious to know the appraised value of the two pieces. Inside was a check for $130 for the sale of two fine pieces of furniture, less the auction house commission. They were sold on an ordinary Tuesday – nothing special about her furniture! It was only then that she discovered the paper she had signed authorized the auction company to sell the bed and chair. There was nothing illegal about it. She’d been deceived, and she had only herself to blame for not reading all the finest print. Only later did she learn that she could have found an approved fine art appraiser who would have provided the information needed by examining her photographs, or coming to the house and examining her furniture or valuables.
The simple fact is, if you own works of art, you need to take steps to protect them. But don't go it alone. Work with an insurance agent to determine the right insurance coverage for your items. Have your items appraised by a reputable authority. If an item needs repair and preservation, find a certified conservator.
When having items appraised, be aware that there are several kinds of appraisals, and the value of a piece may vary widely depending on the type of appraisal you get. In her now-classic and witty book, The Art Crowd, Sophy Burnham describes the dismay of one collector who decided to sell an antique manuscript. He tucked it under his arm and took it to the very genial dealer who had sold it to him. He returned that evening ashen-faced. “What’s happened?” asked his wife. “You look awful. You need a drink.” He could hardly speak. He had just discovered the difference between the purchase price, the insurance valuation, and the sum he could expect to receive on resale through the dealer.
A dealer always assesses the condition, appearance, age and authenticity of a property before establishing a value, but think about the psychology of the three different transactions and you’ll see how different the resulting valuations can be. When selling, the dealer is thinking about money you will pay him. The glories of the piece will clearly be foremost in his mind, and he will extol these to you enthusiastically. When you bring the same object back (even if it’s the following day) and start talking about money he will pay you, it will be his professional duty to make the inherent flaws of the piece known to you.
The insurance value will usually be the highest of the three types of valuation. This is when the discussion turns to money someone else (your insurance company) might pay you at some unknown time in the future if the object should ever be lost, stolen or damaged. Here, in this distant and vague Never Never land the dealer is truly unfettered in his ability to pile on the value (though be assured that your insurance company will get a second opinion on anything that strays into the absurd).
So how do you find an appraiser or conservator? What qualifications should you demand? How do you know you aren’t inviting a burglar into your home? One online resource that can help in this regard is www.Art-Care.com. Art-Care is an online art service making professional conservation, appraisal, and other services available to anyone who owns an art object of value. Art-Care answers questions for the consumer on how to find museum-quality service providers in private practice. It can help you know what questions to ask and offers information on the principles, ethics, methods and materials that form the foundations of these professions. And when you do find a professional to hire, ask questions regarding their training, experience and references. Do not feel awkward about asking these questions. Remember that you are essentially interviewing someone for a job!
In short, when dealing with works of art that are important to you it is essential to either know what you’re doing, or know how to find out what you’re doing. So if you have any valuables worth insuring, for heaven’s sake, do your homework! Don’t go it alone.
