How Does One Find A Qualified Appraiser?

There are many appraisers to choose from when one needs an appraisal. Various appraisers have an expertise in everything from fine antiques to farm equipment. Some appraisers are known as generalists. These appraisers are the appraisers most often used in estate liquidations and estate probate when the estate isn’t valued higher than a million and doesn’t include any specific valuable collections. Generalists are generally used for “average household contents”. The problem with using a generalist is that they think they can appraise everything - including art. All they have to do is search the internet or go to any of the “art sites” now available online. If that were true, you could too! You could eliminate the need and cost of an appraiser.
What happens when you don’t have a qualified appraiser? Well, if you are using an appraiser to value a painting that has been in the family for generations and are considering selling it, the wrong appraiser can cost you money you would have made from the sale. If a signature is misidentified, knowledge of the artist, style or period is lacking, or specific knowledge about the art market and how the artist fits into that art market is lacking, it can make a difference between selling it for what it is truly worth and selling it for a lot less that you should have received. There are so many stories in the news of appraisers who told people their works were worth hundreds, only to be purchased by a dealer who in full knowledge knew he was paying less than a fair price, and turned around and sold it for millions.
The wrong appraiser can also be equally disastrous if you are insuring a work or collection for too little. An incorrect valuing can leave the insured with not enough money to replace a work when a painting is stolen or damaged. What about a charitable donation? Do you want to risk having the IRS auditing you because of mistakes your appraiser makes?
To find a qualified appraiser, you will need to do a little homework on your own. There are three major professional appraisal associations; Appraisal Association of America (AAA), International Society of Appraisers (ISA) and Appraisers Society of America (ASA). A good place to start looking for a qualified appraiser is through these three organizations. Each organization has a directory of qualified members and lists their area or areas of expertise.
Beware that not all fine art appraisers are equal. An expertise in Asian art does not qualify someone to be an expert in post-modernist European art. Different appraisers have different levels of connoisseurship. Demand to see a resume before you agree to work with an appraiser. Does the appraiser have years of education in their particular field or do they claim to be self taught? Does the appraiser have work history in their area? Did they intern in a museum or gallery? Were they curators or museum directors? What in their backgrounds qualify them to appraise your collection? A qualified appraiser should have specific knowledge and appraisal experience in your specific collection. Ask to see a sample appraisal. You should know what to expect from an appraiser and their reports before you sign them up. Are they clean, follow a standard format and are free from typos? Sloppy work means sloppy results.
Ask for references. An ethical appraiser keeps clients and collections strictly confidential. However; corporations, law firms, insurance companies, fellow members from one of the professional appraisal organizations can usually provide a reference and are familiar with the quality of an appraiser’s work. You can find referrals from museums and galleries as well.
Make sure that the appraiser you choose has no personal interest in your artwork. Your appraiser should not be interested in purchasing your work or selling your work to a specific dealer. Your appraiser should only be willing to place a value on your work and make recommendations of several places you can possibly sell your works. Otherwise, your appraiser may deliberately lowball your work to gain it for a bargain price for themselves.
Never choose an appraiser who charges a percent of what the art work is worth. This is very unethical! An appraiser should be able to quote an hourly fee before doing any work. This fee should be one that is clearly stated and the same for every client. Your appraiser should also be able to give you an estimated quote for the scope of work to be and stick to it. Never accept additional billing for more hours quoted unless you have agreed to this upfront. It is not your problem if an unqualified appraiser spends more time than necessary researching items they don’t have enough previous knowledge on.
Finally, is your chosen appraiser USPAP qualified? USPAP stands for Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices. Being trained in USPAP assures the client that their appraiser will follow standards. Each of the three professional appraiser organizations requires their members to re-qualify with USPAP every five years.
When you spend the time to find the most qualified appraiser for your collection the results are well worth it. Interviewing several candidates and asking the tough questions will make the most qualified appraiser the obvious choice.

Submitted by,
Christine Guernsey, ISA AM
Guernsey and Associates, Fine Art Appraisals