Can I bring an item to your office for appraisal?
Unfortunately, our office is not set up to accommodate clients or their artwork, but it’s much safer for your valuable possessions if an appraiser visits your home, and we’re happy to do it! Just call Barbara Rusoff, our director of client services to set up an appointment at your convenience.
Can I just email you a photo to get an appraisal?
Sorry. For most appraisals, we need to actually examine the objects first hand. This is very important for noting condition and determining authenticity. You should be wary of any appraiser who is willing to issue an official report based on photos alone. A rare exception may be in the instance of a damage or loss, if the piece was photographed prior to loss and subsequently completely destroyed. If this is the case, we will note on the appraisal that any values are based on photographs and information only.
I inherited a collection from my parents, how do I see if anything is valuable?
That’s our job. Many people have no idea what they have, but upon inspection, our appraiser can advise you as to which items should be appraised or could be sold at auction. Call us to set up an appointment.
Will an accredited appraiser visit my home?
Of course. All of our extremely qualified appraisers are accredited members of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) or the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), together with having an educational background and experience in the field. It is very important to find out if an appraiser has such credentials before hiring them to do any type of appraisal for you.
What will the charge for the appraisal be?
It depends on the size and type of your collection. We charge an hourly rate for both the on-site visit to your home and the research and preparatory time, with a two (2) hour minimum for the on-site visit. In addition, there are nominal fees to cover photography and word processing costs. If you are located outside of Manhattan, travel is also billed at our hourly rate. Please call our office for more information.
Will your appraisal be accepted by our insurance company or the IRS?
Yes, our appraisals are accepted and highly respected by all professional insurance companies and governmental agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service.
Can you help me sell items that I just don’t want anymore?
Sure! We have contacts at all the major auction houses, and can recommend which one would be best suited for the type of items you have. If you would like, we can handle the whole process for you from start to finish. Call our office for more details.
I have a varied collection - will it be necessary to bring in a separate expert for each category of art?
No, our firm specializes in being generalists, meaning you only need one appraiser to come to your home and examine your collection. Our clients find this to be a very beneficial aspect of our firm, as it minimizes the time an appraiser must have access to your collection, the amount your artwork gets handled, and also gives you a chance to build a relationship with an appraiser who can help you with all aspects of managing your collection. If by chance there is something we are not qualified to appraise, we have a network of well known and respected specialists that we consult with.
I already have an old appraisal – are the values still good?
We recommend that our insurance appraisals be updated every five (5) years, as values change, sometimes dramatically, over time, and keeping your appraisal up to date is the only way to ensure that you have adequate protection.
Will our appraisal be totally confidential?
Of course. We pride ourselves in keeping complete client confidentiality, and it is part of the reason we have maintained such a high reputation. Absolutely no information about you or your collection will be given out to anyone without your explicit permission.
