The Personal Property Appraisers Post

I recently performed an appraisal for an estate that contained a large collection of books, many of which were quite old and some of which were valuable.

Unfortunately, most of the books have not been stored properly. Some of them were stored in acid containing cardboard boxes in a relatively damp warehouse. Others were packed too tightly on bookshelves. Still others were stored in close proximity to heating ducts.

I thought you might first be interested in some of the characteristics an appraiser considers in valuing books. Here are a few:
• Publisher
• Edition
• Illustrator
• Material
• Condition
• Publication date

This time we’ll talk about condition, how it’s determined and what can be done to properly care for a book. Next time we’ll discuss how you can determine a book’s edition number.

Here’s a list of terms used in describing book condition:
• AS NEW, MINT and FINE: A book in the same immaculate condition as when it was published. There can be no tears, no library stamps and the dust jacket, if it was issued, must be perfect.
• NEAR FINE: A book approaching FINE but with minor defects, which must be noted.
• VERY GOOD: A used book showing some small signs of wear, but with no tears. Defects must be noted.
• GOOD: The average used and worn book with all its pages present. Defects must be noted.
• FAIR: Worn book with complete text pages, but may lack endpapers, half-title page. Binding and jacket if present may be worn. Again, defects must be noted.
• POOR: A book so worn that its only value is as a reading copy, because it does have the complete text. May be soiled, scuffed, stained or spotted with loose joints, hinges and pages.
• EX-LIBRARY: Must always be noted as such no matter what the condition
• BOOK CLUB: Editions must always be noted as such no matter the condition
• BINDING COPY: A book in which pages or leaves are complete, but the binding is very bad, loose or off.

As for caring for old books: here are some dos and don’ts.

Click the Read More below for the rest of the article.

I have posted several times over the past year on the ongoing issues of Park West Gallery and the Fine Art Registry. I have tried to be very fair and have posted both sides of this contentious and litigious issue. I will try to continue with that fairness, but as I dont have full knowledge of the case and many particulars or specifics, I can only pass along what I read and have been told. I try not to be an advocate for either side, as that is not what the Appraiser Workshops Blog is about.  I also try hard to only report news and in most cases attempt to stay away from opinion, although every now and then I will editorialize, but only a little.

The AW Blog is pleased to pass along information that is beyond what is in the news and the typical links found on the internet, but comes straight from parties involved in the litigation for your consideration.

This past Friday I had a very interesting conversation with Bernard Ewell, ASA. Many appraisers are familiar with Bernard as he has been a long time participant and active member of the personal property appraisal community. Bernard is also one of the better known appraisers and authenticators of works by Salvador Dali. According to Ewell, he has reviewed and inspected over 50,000 works by Dali, and has been called as an expert witness on numerous occasions.

Many may also know that Bernard does the Dali authentication for Park West Gallery (PWG). He was recently a plaintiffs witness in the defamation suit against the Fine Art Registry (FAR). As posted here on the AW Blog and other sources, the jury did not find that FAR defamed PWG. FAR also counter sued for defamation and trademark infringement. The jury found against the defamation charge, but awarded FAR $500,000 on the trademark charge.

As I have mentioned in past AW blog posts, the recent lawsuit and verdict did not consider the authenticity, value or if the prints were enhanced, although these topics were presented by each side to support their defamation charges and counter charges. The jury was tasked in the complaint to find on the basis of defamation, which typically includes a very high burden of proof. It is possible some of the evidence presented on the prints in question led the jury to believe there are issues of representation, and therefore supported the decision to not find in favor of PWG on the defamation charge. Many of the buyers who testified against Park West Gallery are also involved in a consolidated Federal case against Park West with claims of $22 million. The cases will be heard in Seattle in 2011.According to Ewell, there are also cases in Michigan state court in June as well. These cases, if not settled before hand, very well could be based upon how the jury determines the authenticity of the art and how evidence is presented by the plaintiffs and defendants attorneys.

Now, back to my conversation with appraiser Bernard Ewell. On one of his recent blog post Ewell mentioned that because there are so many different signatures by Dali, authentication is difficult and the signature should only be a small component of the Dali authentication process. (Click HERE to read that blog post by Bernard Ewell.) Ewell states “I and other witnesses testified that Salvador Dali signed his name in so many different ways that it was not a reliable approach. Anyway, I have always followed the dictum that the artwork should authenticate the signature rather than the signature authenticating the artwork.”

Click the Read More below for the rest of the article.

The Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies - 2010 is now ready to order. I have ordered a supply to sell at the ISA conference coming up next week, and the printer/distributor Lulu is now ready to start fulfilling internet orders.

The cost is $55.00 plus shipping and can be ordered by clicking HERE.

More information is on the website at www.appraisaljournal.org

Please support this worthy cause as proceeds go to assist the educational initiatives of the Foundation for Appraisal Education.  The Journal has contributions from ASA, ISA, AAA, ANA and independent appraisers and dealers.  The list of authors and title of their article follows. There is no other publication available for the personal property appraiser which publishes articles with both depth and expertise as the Journal of Advanced Studies.

Andrew Richmond and Hollie Davis of Maine Antique Digest and the Young Collectors column are contributors, as is Judaica expert Elizabeth Berman, AAA, attorney Mark Gold looks at the deaccession debate, while fellow Appraiser Workshops partner Jane Brennom, ISA CAPP writes on appraisers versus authenticators.  I write on price anomalies, touching on the Walking Man, and the Philadelphia Queen Anne compass seat stool amongst other items, Brian Kathenes, ISA CAPP  introduces appraisers to coins and Soodie Beasley, ASA AM discusses several furniture designers of the 20th century, and Jerry Sampson, ASA writes about the appraisers library.

In total 18 articles and over 300 pages of personal property appraisal related articles.

Buy your copy today, click HERE to order.

• Logan Adams – Building Bigger and Better Business with the Moving Industry

• Soodie Beasley - Fantasy Furniture by Designers: Mark, Mont, Duquette and Springer

• Elizabeth Kessin Berman – A Time to Value and a Time to Creatively Value Appraising Church and Synagogue Collections

• Jane C. Brennom – Appraisers vs Authenticators

• Robert W. Cook - Lack of Objectivity Leaves Appraisers at Risk: Index Adjusted Good-Better-Best Appraisal Model Offers Partial Solutions

• Robert J. Corey – Lack of Objectivity Leaves Appraisers at Risk: Index Adjusted Good-Better-Best Appraisal Model Offers Partial Solutions

• Hollie Davis – For Love or Money: Antiques as Investments

• Mark S. Gold – The Deaccessioning Debate: What Appraises Need to Know

• Brian Hiatt – Comparison of Different software to Prepare Personal Property Appraisal Reports

• Brian Kathenes – Appraising Stamps and Coins: Tips, Tricks and Hints for Taking the Mystery out of Stamp and Coin Appraising

• Jill Kent – Folk Art for Appraisers

• Elin Lake-Ewald – Original Research and Innovative Appraisals

• Judy Nelson – Reading a Two Dimensional Atrwork; Suggestions for the Generalist Appraiser

• Andrew Richmond - Love or Money: Antiques as Investments

• Felicia N. Rossomando – The Application of Blockage Discounts For an Artist’s Estate: An Art Business Approach

• Jerry Sampson – Establishing the Appraisers Library

• Elizabeth Sebesky – The Art Market: How Lending Fuels Art Crime

• Paul Shutler – The Importance of Being Provenanced

• Todd W. Sigety – Price Anomalies

• Scott Zema – Personal Property Appraising and the Element of Time

Click HERE to order.

Arctic explorer and MARKETER Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, (February 15, 1874 – January 5, 1922) lead four Antarctic expeditions and was knighted for traveling the furthest south of any human during his voyage aboard the Nimrod.

Shackleton is best known for leading the disastrous Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, commonly known as the "Endurance Expedition" and "Shackleton's Voyage," from 1914 to 1916. Shackleton failed the goal of crossing the Antarctic continent on foot, but became known for his leadership abilities.

His ship ‘‘The Endurance’’ became stuck in the ice and Shackleton lead his men to a safe spot on Elephant Island and then traversed 800 miles of the open Antarctic Ocean to South Georgia Island with four other men. He then managed to cross mountains to reach a whaling station at Grytviken.

Upon his arrival he found a ship to rescue the rest of his team who were left behind on Elephant Island. All men on The Endurance survived their ordeal in the Antarctic, after having spent 22 months in the Antarctic.

So how did he manage to round up a crew for this most amazingly dangerous journey? He advertised for what he DID NOT want. No wimps! No freeloaders! No untrained city boys!

Here’s the ad: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.”

As a marketer of your business, you must do the same thing. Advertise for the clients and customers you don’t want. Scare off those who will only cause you grief.

One our web URLs is: www.PremiumAppraisalServices.com. It is designed to let any potential client who reads it clearly understand that we are not the cheapest guys on the block. It tells them: ‘‘If you want cheap, don’t click here.’’

It also tells them: ‘‘If you think you’re going to negotiate with us to get us to reduce our fees, or allow you to add more stuff to the job without an addition charge, you are sorely mistaken.’’

Attract and court the clients and customers you want. Repel and discourage the ones you don’t.

Set your standards, then let the world know how you do business.

I'm setting up a marketing summit late spring. If you want to be a part of it, call me (908) 459-5979 or e-mail me at brian@kathenes.com. Do it now. It will fill up fast.

Stay well and happy!
Brian

ASA Sponsored Webinar, Friday April 30th 3:00 EST

KNOW WHAT YOU SEE

Presented by Bill Adair of Gold Leaf Studios in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Adair stated that the learning points are:

• Survey of materials and techniques in frame making

• Brief overview of the history of frames as related to painting

• Identification of the various styles-Italian, Spanish, French, and English

• Other related issues to consider with frames

• Brief suggested bibliography

Webinar will be 50 minutes long with 10 minutes for Q&A at the end.
Registration: $75.00 for ASA members; $85.00 for non-members online registration at www.appraisers.org/ASAHomepage go to the education box, then select course catalog, scroll down to the PP course offerings to find WEBKWYS for the webinar and click Upcoming Offerings for registration; or call 1-800-ASA-VALU

Mr. Adair is a recognized expert in the world of frames. Bill is not only a master gilder, but conservator and frame historian who writes and lectures on the art of the frame. As per his website Mr. Adair is the founding director of the International Institute of Frame Study and is also a founding member of the Society of Gilders. This webinar is not to be missed by appraisers and knowledgeable collectors. We hope that you will join us for an hour with Bill Adair.

For more information about Mr. Adair's background and accomplishments please refer to his website: www.goldleafstudios.com

I have a confession to make. I'm a film freak. It's in my genes - my mother, in her 80s, HAD to see "Boogie Nights" because it was up for an Oscar, you know, let alone being Burt Reynolds' comeback (as short-lived as that was). You don't fool with us film freaks -- we go it alone, sitting way up front so as to be enwrapped by (or is it "into"?) the film with our small "layered" (only REAL butter, please) popcorn. Don't chomp loudly or swirl your ice! And if you whisper, you're playing with your life!

That being said, no appraiser or art connoisseur should miss "The Art of the Steal," a 110 minute documentary by Don Argott on the Barnes Foundation and the will of its founder, Dr. Albert Barnes (1872-1951). After growing up poor in Philadelphia, Barnes discovered the cure for gonorrhea (!), befriended artists in Paris, and amassed probably the largest collection of post-Impressionist and early Modernist paintings said to be worth $25-$30 billion, yes, billion. He created a foundation to place his art in a boutique type setting to be studied, rather than in a museum, and was open to the public only a few days a week. Matisse called the Barnes Foundation "the only sane place to see art in America."

Film critic, Manohla Dargis, opened her review in the NY Times Feb 26th with the following: "Money, power, race, a mansion stuffed with treasure, a city plagued by scandal - about all that is missing from "The Art of the Steal," a hard hitting documentary about a high-cultural brawl, is a hot woman with a warm gun." And that's the pace of this intriguing real life drama. It takes place over the last twenty years when art, culture, politics, tourism, wills and trusts, race, academia, journalism and charitable foundations collide in what is referred to in the film as the largest non-profit hostile takeover.

While many main characters on one side of the issue refused to be interviewed, the facts remain riveting as told by the likes of Julian Bond, Gov. Ed Rendell, LA Times art critic Christopher Knight, to name a few. If you're not familiar with the Barnes collection, this is a short fascinating primer. The documentary taken as a whole raises the ultimate philosophical quesiton, "who does 'art' belong to?" and exposes the "long arm" of the powerful, the wealthy and non-profit charitable foundations thought only to be benevolent.

Meanwhile, don't try to reach me Thursdays or Fridays after 4. I'm probably getting my weekly fix. Otherwise, I'm REALLY testy on the weekend!

(And if you're into foreign flicks, don't miss Swedish film "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" based on world's second best selling novel with 8 million copies worldwide and highest grossing film in Europe in 2009. It's gritty but great!)