Serving Aspen & Vail & Telluride areas, New York, Santa Fe, and clients around the world for over 20 years. Offering expert Fine Art and Personal Property appraisals for estate, insurance, donation, equitable distribution, and acquisitions.
USPAP Compliant
Collector’s Fine Art Appraisal, Barbara Preston, principal owner and appraiser, is referred by museums, estate attorneys, auction houses, insurance agents, and galleries for over 20 years and in the art industry for 30 plus years.
As an Accredited Member of AAA, New York University and the Appraisers Association of America, NY, are the primary sources of Barb Preston’s formal appraisal education and credentialling.
Barbara’s areas of expertise are extensive, sourcing education, travel and training, exposure and knowledge, directly correlating to the breadth of collections and personal property inherent to these areas.
Robert Rauschenberg
Homeowners often inaccurately value their possessions by using original bills of sale or inappropriate previous appraisals, thereby under or over insuring their collection and contents.
These appraisals can be complicated given an appraiser must first establish the value prior to damage, extent of damage, cost to repair or restore the object if restorable, and then loss in value. Sometimes objects cannot be restored to a satisfactory integrity and aesthetic, so it is a total loss.
The IRS requires a qualified appraiser, USPAP compliant (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice), for submission of Estate Tax appraisals. An unqualified appraisal will be rejected and possibly fined. In addition, there are specific market levels and approaches associated with an Estate Appraisal which directly influence values.
A formal appraisal for artwork or collectibles must be submitted to the IRS for a donation of five thousand dollars or greater. Collector’s Fine Art Appraisal has performed many high level donations all of which have been accepted by the IRS.
This category is the least utilized and most beneficial valuation of all. Couples often use bills of sale or original costs for furnishings, art, carpets, antiques, etc. as an inexpensive and quick means to an end. However, Dissolution of Marriage appraisals are based on marketable cash which is the net value anticipated, in hand, after selling the objects.
Estates and families often use an equitable distribution appraisal for planning, selecting, and distributing personal property in advance. This way family members actively participate in their inheritance which minimizes future dissension.