HR for Mike, art restorer, appraiser, picture framer

Appraisals

What Is an Appraisal?

An appraisal is a legal document that accurately describes in detail a piece of property and assigns a monetary value to it. An appraisal usually includes the following:

Detailed Description

The appraisal description includes its distinguishing features such as the material used, the condition, the age, and the history of the property.

Market Value:
The appraisal includes the Fair Market Value of the property in the market where it is likely to be used. This value is based on research, equivalent published data and knowledge of the appraiser.
Financial Disinterest:
The appraiser will include a signed form stating that he has no financial interest in the outcome of the appraisal. He will make no effort to purchase or even repair the appraised item unless asked to do so.
The signature of the appraiser.
The date of the appraisal.

Nancy with her Appraisal Book

To the left is Nancy, a client of Mike's, with her newly finished appraisal book. Included as one of the items is the Tang Dynasty camel on the table. Each of Nancy's art objects were appraised separately, and then the appraisals were put together to form the book.

HR for Mike, art restorer, appraiser, picture framer

How Much Does an Appraisal Cost?

The cost for appraising an individual item is $40. Please submit a check or money order for that amount along with your Appraisal Request information. Please do not send cash.

LA ARTBOX does not accept credit cards or Internet payments at this time. LA ARTBOX may soon change their policies in regard to this.

Why Should I Select Mike to Do My Appraisal?

Mike and his staff are qualified to appraise artwork created from any media, such as oils, watercolors, bronze, marble, etchings, prints and antique frames. Mike is especially qualified to appraise all Oriental and Asian art . He is extremely knowledgeable in those areas, and his signature would be very meaningful on that appraisal type. His specialties in Oriental and Asian arts include mediums such as ivory, jade, lacquers, enamels, cloisonné, mother-of-pearl, silk, and objects such as Greek and Russian icons, ceramic and porcelain art, Japanese screens, etc.

What Does LA ARTBOX Need to Complete an Appraisal?

The following Appraisal Request items are needed:

Client’s Full Name (clearly written or printed).
Client's Full Address (clearly written or printed).
Client's Telephone Number.
Client's E-mail Address, if available.
Photographs of ALL views of the object.

Description of Object as follows: If available, include color photographs to support your remarks.

Any signatures, dates, or marks of the object.
Any wear or damage to the object, e.g., tears, cracks, chips, or scratches.
Any evidence of restoration.
The size of the object, including height, width and depth (if meaningful.) Use feet/inches or metric system. Do not include picture frame size in the measurements.
The medium, material and manufacturing methods. Specifically identify the material from which the object was made, e.g. oil on wood panel, bronze sculpture, Limoges dish, hand-carved frame, etc.
Any additional unusual characteristics that may help our experts assess the value of the object.
Any provenance or historical data relating to the object.
The date you purchased or acquired the object.
The price you paid for the object.

An Oral Appraisal

Here is a group of women receiving an oral appraisal of an object in which they all have a common interest. They probably represent a museum or other group that owns a valuable piece of Oriental art. Mike is so knowledgeable in the Oriental and Asian arts that he is sometimes able to make oral appraisals in these areas.

HR for Mike, art restorer, appraiser, picture framer

How Do I Submit the Information and Photographs for the Appraisal?

A separate Appraisal Request Form is needed for each item. To expedite this process, you may use Mike's Appraisal Request Form. This is a printable form that you can then complete and send to LA ARTBOX with your payment and photographs. Appraisals take a minimum of three weeks of research and preparation from the time the payment and other information is received.

Please call

LA ARTBOX at 626-644-2060 to coordinate that or

if you have any questions regarding these procedures.

One More Note on Appraisals

Please note that, when you receive your appraisal, do not assume that the price given is cast in concrete. The appraisal price is based on known information about the artist, the current market and the previous prices from the artist's sold works. But, let's say for an example, an item is appraised for $700. If it sells for $900, then that is the newly established appraised value. Likewise, if the item sells for $500, then that becomes the newly established appraised value. In other words, the actual appraised value is the last price that someone paid for the item.

The concept is just like the stock market -- past performance does not guarantee future results.

Also, remember that an item you think is very valuable, the appraiser could say is of very little value.This can happen for several reasons:

Changing market conditions.
Your item has sentimental value to you but is of little value to an independent buyer.
A previous appraisal for your item was given at an inflated price.
An item which a previous appraiser assumed to be authentic turns out to be a copy or reproduction.

This may sound somewhat dismal, but remember also that an object bought at a flea market could turn out to be worth $10,000. We all watch Antiques Road Show , don't we?

Good Luck on Your Appraisals.

If you have any questions in regard to appraisals, Mike will be glad to help you! Call him at

626-644-2060 or .

Go To

Appraisal Request Form

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