Art/painting appraiser (Phoenix: insurance, how much, houses)

[MGS4EVER]

I am looking for recommendations for an art/painting appraiser that uses Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and the standards set forth by the International Society of Appraisers (ISA).

I have googled them, and there are quite a few, but I'm looking for one that you have used and recommend.

How much did you have to pay for the appraisal? TIA

[ddandano]

I buy and sell art all the time, you can ascertain a reasonable idea of the market value with a few minutes search on the internet. There are sites like invaluable, live auction, zipauction, and obviously ebay. A slight problem arises when the signature is not present or is illegible (auctioneers call "Illegible" the most prolific artist lol) that is where guys like me make our money- we find good/great art with no signature and buy it for next to nothing at auction. If the work has a provenance document and/or signature you will be able to easily ascertain a sense of the value of it- just keep in mind that the auction houses take 25%+ of the realized bid. If you are interested in ascertaining an actual value of a piece you should definitely ignore retail or gallery ask prices- those are usually many times higher than the actual value of a piece.
If you would like something for insurance purposes this will not work, insurance values usually have nothing to do with the actual value of a piece of art and you will need an appraiser if you need those documents. Please do not confuse "insurance value" with the actual value of a piece- these insurance values are usually just silly and that system is a bit of a scam.

[MGS4EVER]

Originally Posted by ddandano

I buy and sell art all the time, you can ascertain a reasonable idea of the market value with a few minutes search on the internet. There are sites like invaluable, live auction, zipauction, and obviously ebay. A slight problem arises when the signature is not present or is illegible (auctioneers call "Illegible" the most prolific artist lol) that is where guys like me make our money- we find good/great art with no signature and buy it for next to nothing at auction. If the work has a provenance document and/or signature you will be able to easily ascertain a sense of the value of it- just keep in mind that the auction houses take 25%+ of the realized bid. If you are interested in ascertaining an actual value of a piece you should definitely ignore retail or gallery ask prices- those are usually many times higher than the actual value of a piece.
If you would like something for insurance purposes this will not work, insurance values usually have nothing to do with the actual value of a piece of art and you will need an appraiser if you need those documents. Please do not confuse "insurance value" with the actual value of a piece- these insurance values are usually just silly and that system is a bit of a scam.

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, I can't get an idea of value with an internet search. It's a rather large collection of one artist. Even though he has famous parents, I can't find a lot of information about him.
I am currently reaching out to galleries in CA where he is from. I hesitate to spend the money on a local appraiser because I don't feel they will know any more than what I have been able to find. I just don't know where to turn at this point.

[ddandano]

If you do not need an insurance document you could just call EJ's auction or J Levine's auction. I am pretty sure they are both well qualified to appraise art (though they may not have all of the certifications you are asking about). I am pretty sure they would evaluate your material for free or maybe a small fee. All of them are nice people at both of those auctions, If you are on the west side go to EJ's- on the East side go to J Levine

[MGS4EVER]

Originally Posted by ddandano

If you do not need an insurance document you could just call EJ's auction or J Levine's auction. I am pretty sure they are both well qualified to appraise art (though they may not have all of the certifications you are asking about). I am pretty sure they would evaluate your material for free or maybe a small fee. All of them are nice people at both of those auctions, If you are on the west side go to EJ's- on the East side go to J Levine

Thank you!

[Voebe]

There are a couple of appraisers, but I can't call them to mind. I wish you would have mentioned their names. However, I see that you say that it's by one person, the child of famous parents - then I agree that a local appraiser might not be that knowledgeable anyway.

I wish you would have provided more information - whether it's the child of famous artists, or just the child of movie stars. You might try looking for a place or person with access to the major art databases, so that you could see if there's a real market for this person. The last time I checked wth the main Phoenix library downtown, they didn't have much, but you can ask. You can also ask if the Phoenix Museum can offer any suggestions, or if they have a library.