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.
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.
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 or FAX
LA ARTBOX at 818.763.6939
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 or FAX him at
Pedestals/Mounts
