How to Handle an Appraisal like a BOSS

So, it’s finally time to have your collection appraised! Phew… that means you’ve done all the hard work already. All the awards are organized, costumes reviewed, records, photos… basically everything - it’s all organized and ready to go. We are sending you a virtual High Five! 🙌🏻

Now let’s get that collection appraised. Here are 5 MUST DO’s before you get going.

1. Organization - Is your collection organized? That should be a Heck YES, if you’ve made it this far. You should be able to check that one off your list.

2. Appraisal Company - Do you have an appraisal company you want to work with? You MUST do your research before you sign a contract. It’s always best to work with a company that specializes in pieces that you would like to have assessed. Call companies; ask questions about their process; ask what types of collections they work with; inquire about pricing & fees; confirm how long the assessment process typically takes; and find out how long it will take for you to receive the final appraisal documentation. This last one is especially important if you need the assessment to present to an insurance company and are working with a deadline.

3. Appraisal Liaison - Who will be there to facilitate the appraisal? Will someone from your Team be there to help pull/pack items, or will you bring someone in to help? If a Team member or outside company has already organized or catalogued your collection, it’s useful for them to be present to help expedite this process. Why? Because they already know where everything is! The faster the items can be documented and reviewed, the faster this entire process will be. It’s often helpful to have an extra set of hands, in addition to the main point person. This will allow one person to work with the appraisal specialist and one to pull and pack the items on site. This extra person helps exponentially because they help maintain the collections integrity by keeping it organized, as one person is returning things to where they were packed / stored, and prepping for the next piece to be pulled and documented. An extra set of hands can SAVE HOURS throughout the appraisal process.

4. Time Line / Order - Once you have an appraisal company in place, you’ve decided who will be there, and how your collection will be organized… you need to make sure the appraisal company knows exactly what you want assessed. You may have told them generally (i.e. costumes or awards), but have you sent them an official list of all of these items? This is incredibly important and a HUGE TIME SAVER. It’s best to review your collection and provide the appraisal company with an amended list of the exact items that you would like assessed before the appraisal begins. This list will be your guide on appraisal day. The more information the company has ahead of time, the faster they can complete the on site documentation process.

5. Preparation - Are you prepared? Make sure you have enough time blocked out to complete an appraisal in a timely manner, whether it’s expected to be completed in 1 day or 5. It’s best to be on site before the appraiser arrives so that you have time to prepare the space, either the morning of, or as we suggest, the day before. Example: If you are working with costumes, do you have rolling racks available, or road boxes out for staging? Are packed pieces easily accessible? Do you have space to repack items once they have been reviewed? The more organized the space, the faster this process will go, and the more time and money you will SAVE!

Until next month!

Your Friends

@ My ARTIST ARCHIVE

P.S... Have questions? Wanna hear more about our services or speak to someone regarding scheduling an appointment. Send us an email @ info@myartistarchive.com or fill out the form on our CONTACT page!

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