07:59
Faizan
So let's look at what any piece is worth. Art falls into two categories: 1) home décor, which is most artwork (and the type I deal in); the value of which is determined just like other home décor items like clocks or lamps; and 2) high-value fine art whose value is based on who made it and whether it is an original vs. a mass reproduction poster.
That is a crucial distinction. Most pieces you have will be home décor items.
First, fast-and-useful rule of valuation: If it's worth a ton of money (i.e., many hundreds or thousands), you'd know that already. People who buy really expensive pieces don't just lose track of it any more than they would leave thousands in cash laying around in their living room. They pay for it; they may specify it in their will; they may have it insured; etc. Valuable things have a chain of custody such that if you had somehow acquired a valuable piece, you would already know it.
Value is based on who made it; and whether it is original or a rare limited print.
Who painted/made it? If the artist has no track record, then value is merely in the eye of the beholder. If the artist is bought, sold and traded on the secondary market, then it depends on whether you have validation of the fact that your piece originated with that artist, whether it is an original, whether you have validation of that fact, and whether the person is marketable (A quick Internet search will tell you that).
If not the original, then whether it is a limited edition print by such a person with a proven market and whether you can validate its authenticity as such.
A mass-produced poster by Picasso is not worth more than any other home décor. Likewise, an original by an artist who is not trade-able has no inherent added value over standard home décor. It must fit A or B above to be worth Big Bucks.
99.999 percent of work does not meet the criteria above. So beauty and value lie in the eye of the beholder. But if you have doubts and you are willing to sell, another way to find out a value really fast is to offer it up for auction. If the auction house won't list it, you pretty much have your answer. They are knowledgeable people who have a biased and vested interest in finding valuable things to sell, because they make their living on the basis of selling things to the highest bidder, and their pay is directly tied to finding and extracting value for a percentage-based commission. If they list it, you'll have hundreds of people (bidders) appraising its value and bidding on it. That provides an immediate answer to, "What's it worth?"
Home Decor
For all the rest of your pieces, if you like it, keep it. If not, it still has value because when you want to change your scenery with new works you can trade it in. Most home décor pieces are valued much like any other home décor - lamps, clocks, end tables, etc. Just as you can tell a cheap clock from an expensive one, or a new one from an antique, without any training in clocks, you can assess the value of home décor art, based on the value of the framing materials, the visual appeal of the topic or imagery, and the size (larger home décor pieces with larger frames consist of more valuable raw materials, i.e. framing, matting, etc.). Age and certain other factors can also add value.
That is a crucial distinction. Most pieces you have will be home décor items.
First, fast-and-useful rule of valuation: If it's worth a ton of money (i.e., many hundreds or thousands), you'd know that already. People who buy really expensive pieces don't just lose track of it any more than they would leave thousands in cash laying around in their living room. They pay for it; they may specify it in their will; they may have it insured; etc. Valuable things have a chain of custody such that if you had somehow acquired a valuable piece, you would already know it.
Value is based on who made it; and whether it is original or a rare limited print.
Who painted/made it? If the artist has no track record, then value is merely in the eye of the beholder. If the artist is bought, sold and traded on the secondary market, then it depends on whether you have validation of the fact that your piece originated with that artist, whether it is an original, whether you have validation of that fact, and whether the person is marketable (A quick Internet search will tell you that).
If not the original, then whether it is a limited edition print by such a person with a proven market and whether you can validate its authenticity as such.
A mass-produced poster by Picasso is not worth more than any other home décor. Likewise, an original by an artist who is not trade-able has no inherent added value over standard home décor. It must fit A or B above to be worth Big Bucks.
99.999 percent of work does not meet the criteria above. So beauty and value lie in the eye of the beholder. But if you have doubts and you are willing to sell, another way to find out a value really fast is to offer it up for auction. If the auction house won't list it, you pretty much have your answer. They are knowledgeable people who have a biased and vested interest in finding valuable things to sell, because they make their living on the basis of selling things to the highest bidder, and their pay is directly tied to finding and extracting value for a percentage-based commission. If they list it, you'll have hundreds of people (bidders) appraising its value and bidding on it. That provides an immediate answer to, "What's it worth?"
Home Decor
For all the rest of your pieces, if you like it, keep it. If not, it still has value because when you want to change your scenery with new works you can trade it in. Most home décor pieces are valued much like any other home décor - lamps, clocks, end tables, etc. Just as you can tell a cheap clock from an expensive one, or a new one from an antique, without any training in clocks, you can assess the value of home décor art, based on the value of the framing materials, the visual appeal of the topic or imagery, and the size (larger home décor pieces with larger frames consist of more valuable raw materials, i.e. framing, matting, etc.). Age and certain other factors can also add value.
Posted in: arts
