Finding Treasure: A Quick Guide to Art and Antique Appraising

Find Art Experts appraiser and nationally known expert Caroline Ashleigh, AAA, ISA-AM, NAA, recently sat down for an interview with Hour Magazine to give collectors a quick guide to art and antique appraising. Here are some additional tips-of-the-trade we uncovered with Caroline:

Find Art Experts:

What is art and antique appraising?

Caroline Ashleigh:

When appraising art and antiques an appraiser assigns a value to an object and must define the purpose of that valuation. The purpose may be for resale, or Fair Market Value; or for insurance, or Retail Replacement Value, among others.

Find Art Experts:

What do you consider when a assigning a value to an object?

Caroline Ashleigh:

I look at many factors including the object's age, rarity, condition, authenticity, and provenance or the history of ownership, and then write a fully researched and written report in compliance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), which are the guidelines set forth for the appraisal profession by the Appraisal Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Find Art Experts:

Where should someone take their item if they want to get it appraised?

Caroline Ashleigh:

It is important that an appraisal be done by a professional appraiser who is trained, experienced and uniquely knowledgeable about the piece be appraised. That individual should be a member of a recognized professional appraisal organization and be USPAP compliant. Certified members of professional appraisal organizations are those with the highest level of distinction, accomplishment and recognition within the appraisal profession. When looking for a qualified appraiser, I recommend contacting the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), the International Society of America (ISA), the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), and searching the findartexperts.com database for an expert in the category and geographical location of the piece being appraised.