APPRAISAL WORK

I have been certified for art appraisal by the Asheford Institute of Antiques since 2013. The certification is good in the United States, England, and Canada. I have executed appraisals for insurance purposes, been engaged by lawyers for estates, for market values to protect potential sales by individuals, and appraisals for donations where I may be required to justify the value to the IRS.

While the certification is customarily applicable to everything except real estate, I restrict my services to the areas I am most familiar with, and so most professionally qualified. That includes two dimensional art work, prints and various forms of graphics, including limited editions, and small sculpture. Consultations are free, and I consider my first responsibility to explain and educate parties making inquiries, including letting them know if a full legal appraisal is even necessary. In some cases, I will do some limited, preliminary research for free, once I receive some basic information from the prospective client. I always provide samples of all legal documents required for services before they are agreed to and signed.

I have worked with relatively large and diverse collections, and individual pieces. If, for any reason, I feel some or all of the art work involved is not in my area of expertise or experience, I will inform the client and either turn down the appraisal or not include the item, or the charge for that portion of the investigations and evaluations from the final charges.

As professional and legal protocols require I see and record specifications in person, I am usually limited to Las Vegas and the surrounding areas.

The artworld of Gae Hirsch