How To Sell Inherited Original Artworks

How To Sell Inherited Original Artworks

If you inherited several old paintings of which all of them are originals, you can actually sell them (that is if you don’t like to keep them). But first, of course, you will need to know how much it is worth. You may also need to know if the paintings you inherited are currently on demand. Once you have a good estimate of your original paintings and the demand in the market, you can now decide where to sell them – auction or gallery. You can even decide to sell your inherited pieces of art online.

How To Estimate Artworks

Estimating your inherited works of art is easier than math assignments that sometimes you would need to hire “do my math homework” services to have it solved. For an estimate of your paintings, it is best to contact an auction house: the professionals follow the art market continuously and know the current prices. The two industry leaders Christie’s and Sotheby’s let you have the images valued free of charge and without obligation. They will also tell you whether it is even worth offering the work at auction.

For paintings by locally known artists and less expensive works, it is better to turn to smaller auction houses. Estimates are also possible based on well-made photos of the works of art.

If you would like written expertise to have the paintings insured against theft, you can also contact an auction house or commission the Institute for Art Research in your area. Most of the experts calculate prices based on the time required. For example, the Swiss Institute for Art Research demands 900 francs for researching the authenticity of an object and 300 francs for an approximate valuation.

Going to an auction house is also recommended for selling a work of art. It can take a long time for a gallery to find an interested party. You can usually negotiate better conditions with gallery owners because the owners are not bound by the guidelines of large houses. Be sure to get multiple quotes. Auction houses usually collect 15 percent of the price when they sell an image. This commission is only reduced for very valuable paintings.

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