GTD - Getting Things Done

I have never been a huge advocate of self help books, but that does not mean that I cant relay some information on the "Getting Things Done" approach to productivity.

Business Week recently ran an article on productivity expert and best selling author David Allen. Allen' s book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity or focuses four key strategies, Write it Down, Break it Out, Do it Now, and File it Away. The other week I posted about the free personal organizer and information management program Chandler (click HERE to read the post), and Allen's GTD strategies fit nicely with software which functions as a calendar and To Do List.

From Allen's website about GTD programs "Sophisticated without being confining, the subtle effectiveness of GTD lies in its radically common sense notion that with a complete and current inventory of all your commitments , organized and reviewed in a systematic way, you can focus clearly, view your world from optimal angles and make trusted choices about what to do (and not do) at any moment. GTD embodies an easy, step-by-step and highly efficient method for achieving this relaxed, productive state."

By using some of the GTD productivity methods along with a computer organizer such as Chandler (discussed in a previous post, click HERE to read) we can become more productive and organized. In the end we personal property appraisers, many who are solo professional, could all use a little organization and guidance on how to get things done and not procrastinate. Myself included.

To read the Business Week article click HERE.
To visit David Allens GTD website click HERE.

Update on Australian Auction Houses

Doubts still remain as Rob Menzies of Deutscher-Menzies and Lawson-Menzies auctions refines how items will be listed and guaranteed in catalog sales . Menzies has been criticized for selling his own art through his auction houses with limited to no ownership disclosure. Menzies now states he will disclose more information in order to strengthen transparency and credibility, but many are still skeptical since Menzies still plans on continuing the practice of selling his own art in the Deutscher-Menzies and Lawson-Menzies auction catalog sales.

Australian auction market analyst Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios, was one of the skeptics regarding Menzies proposed changes sating "As I understand it, Rod Menzies is reserving his right to sell (his) art through his auction houses, and minimum prices will still be offered to sellers, but the new terms mean there will be nothing in the catalog to indicate when either of these things are happening. I can't see how this improves transparency … "

To read the full article, click HERE.

The Rise of Art Fairs

This article on the proliferation of art fairs recently appeared in the San Fransisco Chronicles on line service the SFGate. I find the article interesting because it shows how fine art markets are changing. In the very recent past we have seen shifts away from traditional antique furniture to mid century decorative arts. Now factor the art fair trend with the changes in decorative arts buying habits such as shifts to online and auction venues instead of retail shops and collecting tastes from period American and Georain to mid century styles, all showing continued interst in the fine and decorative art makets, yet revealing differnt trends and buying habits in the marketplace for collectors

The article states art fairs "have accelerated the art business, especially in contemporary art, sometimes to a frenzied pace, though a deteriorating economy has finally begun to exert a drag, even on the auction market. Contemporary art fairs tend to jump up the competitiveness behind many affluent collectors' buying habits. Art fairs have already proliferated to such an extent worldwide in recent years that they have begun to kill one another off. The Miami/Basel fair in December spawned 20 concurrent satellite contemporary art fairs around Miami, involving more than 1,000 dealers all told.

To read the full SFGate article click HERE.

Simple Book Repair Guide From Dartmouth College Preservation Services

Over 10 years ago Dartmouth College published a guide for in-house conservation and restoration for books in the school collection. Portions of this guide are now available on line for use by the general public.

The guide follows basic conservation methods such as all repairs must be reversible and to not further harm or diminish the condition of the book. Some of the section headings in the guide include, setting up the area, toolbox, parts of the book, practical guidelines, and identifying repairable material. Click HERE to review the Dartmouth College Book Repair Guide.

Now I am not advocating that appraisers go into the book repair business, but only to review the guide as an appraiser for value and condition points of reference. Then when a book appraisal assignment arises, you as an appraiser may have a better idea on valuation based upon the damage and condition. You will also have a better understanding of what is repairable, what might require minimal repair work with modest cost and what might entail major restorations efforts at a higher cost. Being able to identify, evaluate, make condition determinations and value adjustments is what we as appraisers do.

The more knowledge of the restoration process and the impact of damage we have, and perhaps more importantly understand, the better appraisers we will become. As appraisers we need to understand the restoration and conservation process in order to make value judgments, be it oil paintings, furniture, porcelains, prints or in this case, books.

Law Suits Brought by Alabama Quilters Resolved

How about this, can you believe I am actually posting on quilts. You see, I do have an open mind when it comes to the fine and decorative arts, so please let it be known that I am not just a furniture snob.

The Associated Press is reporting that three quilters from a rural area in Alabama known as Gee's Bend who were selling elaborate multicolored quilts to Atlanta dealer William Arnett, his sons, Paul and Matt Arnett, and Tinwood Ventures have settled a lawsuit prior to trial. The suit claims the three quilters were cheated financially by Arnett and his collective to sell quilts. Arnett called the suit frivolous. Terms were not disclosed.

To read the full AP article, click HERE.

A Blurring of the Primary and Secondary Markets?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sotheby's has recently announced it will auction new works of art by artist Damien Hirst at a mid September sale in London. Prior to this sale, Hirst was represented by galleriests Larry Gagosian and Jay Joplin . Sotheby's expects the Hirst sale to gross between $100 and $200 million for the 56 works which will include paintings, preparatory drawings, and formaldehyde sculptures (yes that's, correct formaldehyde sculptures, or as the WSJ article calls them "pickled animal carcasses" ).

Hirst typically sells through galleries, and the article states the gallery system is still needed. The WSJ asks the questions "What does it mean for the art market that a living artist bypasses dealers altogether and sells his wares directly at auction? There is some speculation that this might be a pivotal moment, like the end of the studio system in movies or the continuing decline of the record labels in the music business. Could the gallerist's traditional role as mediator between the contemporary artist and his market be passé?"

Only a very select few of artists have the name recognition and following to make an end around galleries, and the gallery system is still needed for the building of artist reputations and also for added discretion and privacy should it be requested by the purchaser. At least for the dollar values estimated by Sotheby's.

As appraisers, we have been taught that the primary market (such as galleries) was where new property and creations, such as fine art is sold, and the secondary market, including auctions typically resold property. This recent development now blurs the markets a bit further. As the antique and collectible market changes along with technological advances such as online bidding, more and more private collectors are buying directly from auctions, either online or live and are bypassing the gallery/dealer networks. Appraisers should monitor this type of market change, and although it may not be coming in the near future, I would expect some lesser known artists will eventually test the method (especially those who excel in self promotion and marketing), and at least attempt to bypass the gallery system by going directly to auction.


To read the full Wall Street Journal article, click HERE.

Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies Reviewed by MAD

The September issue of Maine Antique Digest contained a book review of the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies. The nearly one page review by Lita Solis-Cohen entitled Advanced Appraising mentions the mission of the new Journal, that articles were contributed pro bono by appraisers from ISA, AAA and ASA along with conservators insurers and auctioneers. The review states the "articles cover the gamut from why appraisers publish to how conservation reports can aid the appraiser." This great journal would not have been possible without the contributions of the 20+ authors who worked on writing and re-writing personal property appraising articles for submission and inclusion.

The reviewer also covers three of the articles in depth, including show promoter Robert James' article on the plight of antique shows, Andrew Richmond's review of online databases such as p4A, ArtFact and Price Miner and Victor Wiener's discussion on Picasso's La Reve where the owner, Stephen Wynn accidentally put his elbow through the canvas after having an agreement to sell for $139 million.

Other articles and authors were mentioned by name, and also stated that all proceeds benefit the ISA Education Foundation and its mission of advancing appraisal education. The review was very positive and the visibility and reputation of the journal should expand with the publicity of the review.

I have posted a PDF file which was cut, pasted and scanned from MAD of the review online. To read the full review click HERE.

To order the journal click HERE.

As editor of the journal, I am now seeking article contributions for the 2009 edition, so if you are interested in submitting an article proposal, please contact me at toddsig01@gmail.com or call me at 703-836-1020 to discuss.

Quantitative Methods for Ranking the Greatest Works of Art

Is this Picasso the greatest piece of art of the 20th century. One economist and art researcher believes so.

You've got to love the NY Times for its articles on the fine and decorative arts. The NY Times has become a very good source for AW posts. Am I really endorsing reading the NY Times? Well, lets not get off track on newspapers and their news and editorial content, this particular article ran in early August, where an economist, through quantitative methods, ranks fine art of the 20th century by primarily counting the number of times the individual works appear as images in books.

David Galenson, a University of Chicago has quantified what he considers the 100 greatest pieces of 20th century arts by the number of times an image appears in a group of 33 textbooks published between 1990 and 2005. The article states "many of the most important individual works rarely, if ever, come to market, he (Galenson) decided to use art history textbooks to value each piece. He tallied the number of illustrations of each piece in the 33 textbooks he found that were published between 1990 and 2005, on the assumption that the most important works merited the most illustrations.

There is, as would be expected a fair amount of debate on the worthiness of such a quantification. Of course Mr Galenson and his quantitative method of ranking art is not being taken seriously by many of the leading art connoisseurs and many economists as well. Many art experts state that textbooks also run in phases, listing what is currently popular, rendering the research and quantitative analysis somewhat suspect.

The most important 20th century work according to Galenson is “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” a 1907 painting by Picasso.

To read the full New York Times article, click HERE. Or for a list of the top 8, click HERE.

Brooklyn Museum Coptic Fakes to be Displayed

The New York Sun announced that the Brooklyn Museum will sponsor an exhibit of fakes of its Coptic sculpture collection during 2009. Coptic is the name for Egyptians of the Christian faith and their Church formed in the first century AD. It is also the name for the last form of the ancient Egyptian language, which was written with mostly Greek letters. The Coptic language survives only as a liturgical language of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Appraisers and serious collectors have known for years that many of these early antiquities are not as represented or early as originally thought. It appears the list of fakes and misrepresentations continues to grow. Instead of hiding fakes, museums are now starting to leverage them to promote collections, interest the public and educate collectors. A few years ago the Chipstone Foundation exhibited a large group of fake and misrepresented furniture at the Milwaukee Art Museum. The group of fakes was also documented in 2002 edition of American Furniture. The Brooklyn Museums Chief Curator, Kevin Strayton states in the NY Sun article "The idea of connoisseurship" — how scholars examine a work of art in order to determine its authenticity and proper attribution — "has a lot of general appeal," Once open, this should be a very interesting exhibit to view and attend. An excerpt from the New York Sun article. While most major museums have some fakes in their collections, few like to advertise the fact. But in an unusual move, the Brooklyn Museum is planning an exhibition for 2009 that will call attention to a group of forgeries among its collection of Coptic sculptures. A third of the museum's collection of Coptic sculptures were actually made in the mid-20th century, the museum's curator of Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art, Edna Russmann, recently told the Art Newspaper. Coptic art refers to Egyptian art dating from the Late Antique period, between roughly the fifth and the mid-seventh centuries C.E. The art is called "Coptic" because art historians long believed it to have been made by early Christians. Although scholars have known about the fakes in the Brooklyn Museum's collection for decades, the exhibition, which opens in February, will be the first time that the museum has shared its view with the public. The pieces in question were acquired between the late 1950s and the early 1970s. To read the full article click HERE.

After Mid-Western Floods, Univ of Iowa Faces a Dilemma, and Criticism

To sell a Jackson Pollock or not to sell, that is the question the University of Iowa Museum of Art is currently facing. After the June floods of the Mid West, the University in general and the University of Iowa Museum of Art in particular sustained much damage (although most artwork was spared damage), with some estimates being at more than $16 million for the arts campus alone. Needless to say, funds are needed for building repair and remediation.

The premier piece within the University of Iowa Museum of Art collection is Jackson Pollock's 1943 "Mural" donated in 1951 by Peggy Guggenheim. Since the floods, the schools Regent and board have discussed the possibility of having Pollock's Mural appraised, in the event a large amount of funds were needed for campus repairs. The school has responded to criticism by stating the discussions and possible appraisal are only preliminary, with Regent Michael Gardner stating "I'm not proposing the painting be sold, but I'm proposing we look to see that if the painting were sold (how much it would bring.)". To me, that sounds like the Regents are very interested in selling the Pollock.

The dilemma is what is the mission of the museum, what are the ethics of deaccessioning, as well as threats of limiting future visual arts grants if the painting is sold. The school and the Board of Regents have been highly criticized for even suggestion the painting should be sold.

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a very interesting article on the subject by the papers leisure and arts editor Eric Gibson. Gibson is not a proponent of selling the Pollock. To read the full WSJ article, click HERE.

It is a very interesting topic for discussion and debate, as museum deaccessioning always is. With what is the mission of the museum, what were the wishes and desires of the donor, etc. If you search Google News with Pollock and University of Iowa many articles should be returned about the situation.

Where are You Going with that Monet?

Here is an article from earlier this year out of the NY Times on art theft. I know it is a little late or not as timely as some of the other AW posts, but it does go hand in hand with the post of earlier today on the four categories of art theft. I also believe the content is relevant as well.

The article comes to the conclusion that although art theft is a large problem, the perpetrators are not of the highest criminal caliber. The article states "In fact, they are often found pretty far down the ladder of professional purloining, acting on impulse or opportunity in a world in which museums are still relatively unguarded public spaces. And in many cases, to put it bluntly, art thieves are just not very good."

Included in the online article is a link to images chronicling 8 of the most famous art thefts, including Rembrant's "Lady & Gentleman in Black", Vemeer's "The Concert", a Picasso and a Cellini sculpture. To view the mini slide show click HERE.

To read the NY Times article "Where are You Going with that Monet" click HERE.

The Four Major Art Crimes

Noah Charney recently published a good article on the Art Info website about the four major categories of Art Crime and how the crimes impact the art market. Charney states in the article that "the largest victim of art crime is the art trade. This multi-billion-dollar legitimate industry is victimized to the tune of a conservatively estimated $6 billion per year, most of which goes into the pockets of organized crime." The categories include vandalism, forgery/deceptions (which includes wholesale forgery, alteration forgery, provenance forgery, and willful misattribution), art theft, and antiquities looting.

The article is short, yet gives some good insight into art theft. To read the Artinfo article click HERE.

More on Art, Digital Imaging and Authentication

A recent post discussed the forensic art work being done at Dartmouth College in authenticating fine art. Another study, also using computers, digital imaging and known and authenticated art work is also looking to determine the authenticity of works by artists. The detailed digital imaging identifies brush strokes, patterns and geometric characteristics of the artwork, and conceptually identifies a paintings and the artists signature style. The idea is to also use the technology to determine the original from copies and fakes.

It would be interesting to run some of these tests on perhaps a Gilbert Stuart Athenaeum portrait of George Washington. There were supposedly about 75 of these portraits painted by Stuart. It would be a very interesting study, and I am sure some would not be too pleased with the end result.

The short article from Science Daily

Researchers Detect Fake Art From Originals

ScienceDaily (July 12, 2008) — As museums continue to digitize their art collections, it becomes increasingly easier for paintings to be forged. Two Penn State researchers are part of an international team working on a digital system to help detect original works from counterfeit ones.

James Z. Wang, associate professor of information sciences and technology, Jia Li, associate professor of statistics, and their colleagues published their work in the July issue of IEEE Signal Processing.

The team's findings are based on 101 high-resolution grayscale scans of van Gogh paintings provided by the Van Gogh and Kröller-Müller Museums in the Netherlands. Wang and Li broke each scan down into sections measuring 512 by 512 pixels, or about 2.5 by 2.5 inches in canvas size, and analyzed them based on patterns and geometric characteristics of the brush strokes.

From the 101 scans received from the museums, art historians identified 23 as unquestionably authentic van Gogh works. These were used by the computer system as a training database for van Gogh's brushstroke styles.

Statistical models were created to capture the unique style, or "handwriting," that became the artist's signature in 23 of the scans. The other 78 -- either works of van Gogh, works of van Gogh's peers or paintings that had at one time been attributed to him but later found to be unauthentic -- were compared against the generated models to test the algorithms.

Wang and Li, along with computer science and engineering doctoral student Weina Ge, compiled those findings into an online system that allows any painting to be compared against existing data to help determine its authenticity.

The painting analysis project results were first presented at a workshop at the Van Gogh Museum in May 2007. Other authors of the paper, "Image Processing for Artist Identification: Computerized Analysis for Vincent van Gogh's Painting Brushstrokes" include: C. Richard Johnson Jr., Cornell University; Ella Hendriks, Van Gogh Museum; Igor J. Berezhnoy, Phillips Research Europe; Eugene Brevdo, Shannon M. Hughes and Ingrid Daubechies, Princeton University; and Eric Postma, Maastricht University.

Although the research in this field is just starting, Wang said he is confident about its future.

"I believe it is very important to study arts and cultural heritages. Through tackling these tough problems, we can advance the core technologies at the same time," he said. "I anticipate computer scientists, art historians and mathematicians to collaborate more in the future."

The National Science Foundation supported this work.

More Bad News for "Brick & Mortar" Antique Dealers

Last week I posted about a Wall Street Journal article that chronicled the decline in prices of pre 20th century furniture. The article had some rather dismal statistics on not only the declining value of antique furniture, but also the decline in popularity. I thought it was an excellent article to reference when writing a marketing analysis about antique furniture, and coming from the WSJ has much credibility. To read the August 13th WSJ post click HERE. But wait, there is more bad news for the industry from the Los Angeles Times about the decline in retail antique shops.

Earlier in August the Los Angeles Time ran an article in the Homes and Garden section on the decline of the Brick and Mortar antique shop. The article states that many dealers are closing retail locations and selling strictly online. The author states that many collectors are moving to online purchases as well, and many are also forgoing traditional dealers and purchasing directly from auction houses. The article also briefly mentions the changes in tastes which are currently moving toward modern or 20th century design and changing lifestyles for collectors of today.

The article states "Walk the antiquing districts of Southern California these days and you'll sense the acceleration of the trend here. Earlier this summer, Cari Markell cleared out her Silk Roads Gallery on La Brea Avenue. Bruce Graney closed his Pasadena store last year after operating for nearly three decades. So did Sally Gould Wright of Richard Gould Antiques, a Los Angeles business her parents started half a century ago. Many antique associations have seen membership dive, and the Antiques Dealers Assn. of California has kept its numbers steady only after allowing in dealers who don't have brick-and-mortar stores or who sell pieces that aren't technically antiques."

In order to stay viable, both dealers and show promoters are trying to reach new collectors, and are allowing for the change in focus of what is now considered collectible and in demand, such as 20th century design.

The article continues "Therien & Co. has branched out from period antiques to more modern fare. Two years ago, Garcia started showing 20th century pieces, mostly one-of-a-kind furniture from France, Italy and Austria. The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show hired a new executive director last year and, for the first time, themed its event to showcase 20th century modern design. Lisa Podos, who later resigned as director to raise a baby, says the move was a nod to younger collectors who want one great object to go with contemporary furnishings. "They are more eclectic," she says. The Los Angeles Antiques Show now accepts pieces that aren't old enough to be antiques. A 1930s Art Deco table might be seen alongside 17th century chairs. Ray Azoulay and his fellow organizers may add "Design" to the show's name to broaden its appeal."

To read the full Los Angeles Times article, click HERE.

Van Gogh Portrait Of A Women Revealed Behind Another Painting

The research work that is being done in the field of fine art is truly amazing. Science Daily reports new techniques in X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy which reveal more of what may be hidden under the surface. It is widely known that many artists repainted many of their canvases. The Science Daily article gets a bit technical, but the results of the science are truly incredible. See the graphic in this post which shows the image of the woman found beneath Van Gogh's Patch of Grass painting. Beauty certainly now is more than skin dip.

The short article from Science Daily follows.

ScienceDaily (July 30, 2008) — A new technique allows pictures which were later painted over to be revealed once more. An international research team, including members from Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands) and the University of Antwerp (Belgium), has successfully applied this technique for the first time to the painting entitled Patch of Grass by Vincent van Gogh. Behind this painting is a portrait of a woman.

It is well-known that Vincent van Gogh often painted over his older works. Experts estimate that about one third of his early paintings conceal other compositions under them. A new technique, based on synchrotron radiation induced X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, reveals this type of hidden painting. The techniques usually used to reveal concealed layers of paintings, such as conventional X-ray radiography, have their limitations.

Together with experts from the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Hamburg and the Kröller-Müller Museum, TU Delft materials expert and art historian Dr Joris Dik, and University of Antwerp chemistry professor Koen Janssens therefore chose to adopt a different approach. The painting is subjected to an X-ray bundle from a synchrotron radiation source, and the fluorescence of the layers of paint is measured.

This technique has the major advantage that the measured fluorescence is specific to each chemical element. Each type of atom (e.g. lead or mercury) and also individual paint pigments can therefore be charted individually. The benefit of using synchrotron radiation is that the upper layers of paint distort the measurements to a lesser degree. Moreover, the speed of measurement is high, which allows relatively large areas to be visualised.

Patch of grass

This method was applied to a painting by Vincent van Gogh. The work in question, Patch of Grass, was painted by Van Gogh in Paris in 1887 and is owned by the Kröller-Müller Museum. Previous research had already discovered the vague outline of a head behind the painting. It was scanned at the synchrotron radiation source DORIS at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg using an intense but very small X-ray bundle.

Over the course of two days, the area covering the image of a woman’s head was scanned, measuring 17.5 x 17.5 cm.

The measurements enabled researchers to reconstruct the concealed painting in unparalleled detail. In particular the combination of the distribution of the elements mercury and antimony (from specific paint pigments) provided a 'colour photo' of the portrait which had been painted over.

The reconstruction enables art historians to understand the evolution of Van Gogh’s work better. The applied technique is expected to pave the way for research into many other concealed paintings.

Peabody Essex Museum - A Success Story

This recent article from the Boston Globe explores the success of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Starting with a $125 million renovation the Museum has seen growth in attendance and nearly doubled its endowment from $74 million to $140 million. The article explores the need for large and increasing endowments, but also stresses that a "museum with a healthy endowment can avoid relying on ticket-driven blockbuster shows and instead focus on what's best artistically for the institution." This is considered more of a slow growth policy by building a strong endowment as a financial foundation for a museum. It seems to have worked in the case of the Peabody Essex Museum. To read the full article, click HERE.

A Little Bit on the Broad Evidence Rule

I found a well written and informative article on litigating insurance claims. Although much was not applicable to the personal property appraiser, within the article was a very good interpretation of the Broad Evidence Rule. The Broad Evidence Rule (BER) in effect states that "every fact and circumstance which would logically tend to the formation of a correct estimate of the loss" may be considered by the courts. It is of course up to qualified appraisers to place a value or multiple values on property based upon the facts and multitude of circumstances.

Because of the wide spread acceptance of the BER by the judicial system much is left open to interpretations by the court. The BER has been viewed as both a positive and a negative in settling insurance claims. In any event, appraisers working on insurance claims should be aware of and familiar with the BER and how it is applied. The following excerpt on the BER is an excellent starting point. It is a good addition to what is typically found in personal property appraisal theory and methodology texts as it is written by attorneys.

From an article By Jay Barry Harris, Esquire and Barbara E. Brigham, Esquire FINEMAN & BACH, P.C.

LITIGATING ACTUAL CASH VALUE ISSUES FROM AN INSURER'S PERSPECTIVE

Under the broad evidence rule, in a determination of actual cash value by the trier of fact, "every fact and circumstance which would logically tend to the formation of a correct estimate of the loss" is to be taken into consideration. The New York Court of Appeals in McAnarney held that the trier of fact could consider: original cost and cost of reproduction;

the opinions upon value given by qualified witnesses; the declarations against interest which may have been made by the assured; the gainful uses to which the buildings might have been put; as well as any other fact reasonably tending to throw light upon the subject.

The broad evidence rule has been praised as furthering public policy by indemnifying the insured through a more equitable distribution of insurance proceeds than results from other approaches. The reason for this is that an insured is able to present evidence showing the inadequacy of the market value or replacement cost less depreciation approaches due to special circumstances.

However, there are criticisms of the broad evidence rule as well. It is not a definite formula, as is the repair cost less depreciation approach, and lacks certainty or predictability. For example, when the insurance is acquired, no figure as to the value of the property is available. However, except under unusual circumstances, the insurer can closely estimate the "value" of the property through the replacement cost less depreciation formula to determine an insured's needs.

Another criticism of the broad evidence rule is that the consideration of an indefinite number of facts concerning the property leads to speculation, conjecture and a clouding of the issue of actual loss. This criticism has been met with the argument that any evidence which may potentially come into play under the broad evidence rule will be admitted only if relevant and if it is not too speculative. Such evidence is evaluated for admissibility just as any other evidence is evaluated prior to being admitted.

Further criticism of the rule is that insurers may take advantage of collateral issues to escape liability. For example, suppose an insured has paid for $100,000.00 worth of insurance. The argument presented is that the insurer should not be allowed to escape payment of the full amount by showing, for instance, that the insured could not sell the building located in a deteriorated neighborhood for more than $50,000.00. However, the full value of the policy is a limit on the insured's recovery, not the amount of recovery. In addition, indemnity is the purpose of insurance and insured's are to recover the value of the loss they incur, not on the loss to the property. Although:

[i]t may be true that insurers are ostensibly receiving a windfall if they are allowed to pay less than the full amount of the policy. . . . because a "moral hazard" is created by allowing the insured to recover in excess of his loss, allowing the insurer to pay less than the full amount seems to be the lesser of two evils.

Despite these criticisms, the trend is toward using the broad evidence rule. One court summarized the advantages of using the broad evidence rule as follows:

"To put the matter in other words, the courts, when faced with a choice between applying some standardized rigid rule such as replacement cost minus physical depreciation or of adopting some more flexible test which can be modified in such a way as to accord more nearly with the principle of indemnity, have generally preferred the latter alternative even though it has involved the sacrifice of administrative convenience and simplicity."

Fine Art as Loan Collateral

The New York Sun ran an article at the end of July about the growing popularity of using fine art as loan collateral. The article states banks are lending at approximately 50% of the market value of the property. Sotheby's offers consignment advances as well term loans and revolving lines of credit. Chrisite's has typically loaned money as consignment advances but given the state of the market and client/collector interest, the venerable auction house is now also considering other types of lending arrangements. Select banks and their private banking divisions are catering to high net worth individuals who own valuable collections and wish to make further investments by leveraging their art collections. Many of the banks seem to consider the practice more of a value added service for these high net worth clients instead of a standard lending practice.

Should the art collection as collateral trend continue it would seem logical more appraisal assignments for the intended use of loan col lateralization will become needed. Perhaps personal property appraisers should be marketing our services to the private banking divisions of major banks.

The article states "Select banks and the two major auction houses, Sotheby's and Christie's, have been offering art financing for a long time. But in recent years, as values in the art market have risen, more and more collectors have taken advantage of it." The article continues "the volume of lending that Sotheby's does has increased substantially in recent years. At the end of 2007, it had $176,380,000 loaned out, according to its balance sheet. At the end of 2004, it had only $92,291,000 in outstanding loans."

To read the full NY Sun article click HERE.

Wall Street Journal Chronicles Decline in Antique Furniture Sales

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article chronicling the rather drastic decline in some areas within the antique trade. This is a good article to refer to when documenting and substantiating a market analysis for antique furniture. The article states, "some antique furniture is going for a quarter of what it fetched a year ago as people gravitate toward contemporary styles. On top of that, struggling consumers have been liquidating their collections of vintage pieces, flooding the market. Even high-end auctioneers such as Sotheby's have seen some disappointing sales of all but the rarest pieces."

Not encouraging news if you are in the antique trade, or are in a related or connecting field such as appraising. The article lists both statistical and anecdotal examples from auction houses, online resellers and dealers. It also references Ebay statistics noting that "from April through June, 2,376 mid-century modern items and 2,132 Eames-inspired items sold on the auction site, compared with 141 Queen Anne pieces, 71 Federal pieces and 1,782 Victorian items." A rather drastic difference in sales volume between the 20th century items and the pre 20th century.

The article also states that some of the higher end upper market antiques, which were holding value are also starting to soften. Again, the WSJ article is a good reference point for a market analysis and justification of declining values for upset clients. Overall not a very good trend for the antique industry. To read the rest of the WSJ article click HERE.

A Favor to Ask- Tell a Colleague about the AW Blog

By most accounts the Appraiser Workshops blog has been very well received. The feedback and comments have all been very encouraging and positive. I am not aware of any other site posting such timely personal property appraisal related content.

The blog, now just about a month old has drawn a steady stream of visitors and views and contains a growing number of appraisal related posts. If you are new to the blog, make sure to review the archives for all earlier posts. In this short period of time I am pleased to say there have been close to 1,400 page views and nearly 600 individual visitors along with a growing list of email subscribers.

But, in order for the blog to be viable, in order for the end results to be worth the considerable effort, the blogs subscriber and viewer base has to grow, and that is where I could use your help. I would like to ask for your help by proposing a little bit of viral marketing.

The request is easy and should take no time at all. Just send a short email to a colleague or two. If everyone reading and subscribing sends an email message about the blog to a fellow appraiser, or a collector, auctioneer, curator, claims adjuster, restorer, etc. and informs them of the blog and the appraisal related content the news will spread and the blog viewer base will grow. In your email also ask them to forward the message to one of their colleagues.

With strong viewing numbers it will be easier to attract contributions, which in the end, helps us all. Viral or Word of Mouth (WOM) marketing is the way many websites and blogs have grown, all without traditional means of advertising. The personal property community is relatively small, so I don't expect 1000's and 1000's of viewers, yet I also wish to sustain growth and include as many appraisers and related industries as possible. Since the personal property community is small, the task of getting the word out to the appraisal community should not be difficult.

I hope you are enjoying the posts and I have been trying hard to keep my personal ramblings to a minimum. If you have ideas for a post or see something useful, please let me know, or if you wish to contribute to the blog, please let me know that as well. Remember, you can also posts comments to each posting, so dont be shy, speak up.

The blog address to pass along to colleagues is www.appraiserworkshops.blogspot.com

Thank you for your help and support.

Todd

Free Personal Organizer, Note to Self and Information Management Program

Chandler (v 1.0) is an open source (free) cross platform (Windows, Mac, & Linux) note to self program on steroids. You can make quick notes on any project, use a calendar, set alarms and reminders, todo lists, send emails of listed items, publish calendars, list appointments, manage tasks, manage projects and more. I just donwloaded and started to learn the free program earlier today. I have been looking for something simple and easy to use, but still powerful enough to handle complex tasks. There is a lot to learn, and Chandler offers a lot. If you need organization (I do), and a program to list notes and ideas, or keep track of tasks and appointments in order to stay organized, although new, Chandler is a solid prospect. It is available at www.chandler.org. The site has tutorials and a short video as well.

I can envision using the program in my appraisal practice to schedule appointments, send reminders (to myself and others) and keep track of ideas as they pop into my head and a multitude of tasks. The main dashboards shows in list form your various projects and the related items to do now, later and completed. Each item is clickable for more information such as listings on a calendar, times and priorities. It also syncs with Google calendars and other online calendars.

Be prepared to spend some time learning all of the possibilities of this program. It initially seems easy to use, but there is a lot in this program, including multiple views, folders, sub-folders, synchronizing and the optional web hub, it therefore will take some time (and a little bit of patience) to learn to use all the features effectively. Chandler seems to have strong possibilities in keeping appraisers organized and on task. At first glance it appears to be a very good information collection device to list and organize any type content. Remember Chandler is only the first release version, so I am sure there are some bugs, but they should be quickly worked out as more and more computer users take advantage of the program. If Chandler functions as I expect and hope, I plan on adding the program to the list of programs our Appraiser Workshops recommend in the Good, Better, Best Appraiser Workshop, along with image resize, HP Smart Web Printing, Zotero and a few others.

New IRS Pension Protection Act Guidelines Published in the Code of Federal Regualtions

As you may recall, after the Pension Protection Act became law, the IRS issued transitional guidelines regarding the interpretation of the new legislation as it concerned qualified appraisals, qualified appraisers and charitable donations.

The new regulation as published in the Code of Federal Regulations on August 7, 2008 now provides guidance concerning substantiation and reporting requirements for cash and non cash charitable contribution under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. The guidelines as published are open for comment until Nov 5, 2008, but given the depth of information in the publication, I believe these guidelines may be close to what the final guidelines will look like.

I just printed out the new guidelines (about 22 pages), and after I read and get a level of understanding I will post more information and comments. In the meantime, should you wish to read the guidelines from the Code of Federal Regulations click HERE.

Related Use and Charitable Donations

Here is a good explanation of the Related Use doctrine from the Planned Giving Design Center . Within the Related Use section there are some interesting links to some IRS Private Letter Rulings regarding Related Use and the acceptability of the donated items as ruled by the IRS. The last paragraph is important, noting the need for the donor to get a letter from the donee institution on how the institution plans to use the gift. On charitable donation appraisals, this statement should be included within the appraisal.

Related Use. To obtain a full market value deduction for a gift of art, the use by the donee institution must be related to its charitable purposes or functions. If not, the deduction is for cost basis only (or, if less, fair market value).

A gift of a painting to a museum should clearly be a related use gift. A gift of a work of art to a school with a museum, or which uses it for art instruction, should also be a related use gift. However, if the work of art is contributed, for example, to The American Red Cross, which is a public charity, but which from the outset intends to sell and in fact promptly does sell the work of art, the deduction will be for cost basis only and subject to the 50% ceiling.

The regulations provide that a donor may treat a contribution of a work of art as meeting the related use rule if:

1. The donor establishes that the work of art is not in fact put to an unrelated use by the donee institution, or
   
   
2. At the time of the gift, it is reasonable to anticipate that the work of art would not be put to an unrelated use by the donee organization.

A number of situations are not so black and white. And, there have been few litigated cases but some private letter rulings:

For example, Ltr. Rul. 7751044 where the Service held that the rule was met when lithographs were displayed in a camping center devoted to handicapped and retarded children because the lithographs were used in connection with an art appreciation program. Also see Ltr. Ruls. 7911109Ltr. Rul. 8208059, the Service held that the related use rule was met when a donor gave his stamp collection to a college because the college would exhibit the collection and had, as part of its curriculum, a course in engraving skills. and 7934082. In

These matters are fact specific. It is important that a donor obtain from the donee institution a clear indication of how it intends to use the gift property.

Major Australian Auction Houses Under Scrutiny

An interesting article on the status, level of competition and scrutiny of the major players in the Australian auction community. Paul Sumner of Mossgreen auctions states "I think everyone has been upset about what's going on," and I think people are just a bit tired of programs and stories that come out and paint a poor picture of the whole industry."

A very interesting read. The main question I have is, are the Australian issues pertinent to appraisers and auction houses here in the US. I would say, very possibly it is. The auction market is becoming more and more globalized due to internet bidding, the ease of catalog publishing and the access to national and international shipping.

In the very recent past the US auction industry has also dealt with issues of price fixing, poor management, etc. at both Sotheby's and Christies so this is not that unusual to hear. There are also many smaller auctions houses that have failed leaving consignors unpaid and without theri property. I am sure it does not surprise many professional appraisers who work with the large houses of more concerns, be it here or in Australia. If there are major issues with the large national and international houses in Australia, and depending upon the fall-out if any and any subsequent government actions, it could very well indirectly or directly impact the US auction market.

I highly recommend that you read the whole article. After reading, your comments would be greatly appreciated.


Picture Perfect Industry
Corrie Perkin, National arts writer, August 2nd, The Australian

AUSTRALIA'S art auction wars escalated to new heights of bitterness this week. For the past 18 months the seven main players - Sotheby's, Bonhams and Goodman, Deutscher and Hackett, Mossgreen, Joel Fine Art and Melbourne businessman Rod Menzies' two companies, Deutscher-Menzies and Lawson-Menzies - have been competing for market share.

But on Monday night a report by the ABC's Four Corners into the Australian art auction industry highlighted industry concerns regarding Menzies.

The day after the program went to air, lawyers acting for auctioneer Tim Goodman and other art auction identities lodged a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. It is understood the complaint relates to Menzies' company, Menzies Art Brands', alleged non-disclosure of guarantees and of the ownership of some artworks at its auctions.

The ACCC this week refused to discuss the complaint or whether an investigation would go ahead. If a case is brought against Menzies, it may allege a contravention of Section 52 of the Trade Practices Act. Menzies has indicated he will defend his position.

In its outline of "misleading or deceptive conduct", the 1974 act states that a corporation shall not, in trade or commerce, engage in conduct that is misleading or deceptive or is likely to mislead or deceive.

Sydney-based Goodman, an auctioneer for 38 years, declines to speak specifically about the complaint, which was also signed by other unnamed auction house owners and directors.

"But I will say that the allegations in the media of false and misleading conduct by one auction house has brought to the attention of the market and the regulatory authorities the allegation that there has been bad practice," Goodman tells Inquirer. "That has brought a number of issues to a head."

Although he declines to elaborate, Goodman adds: "I believe very strongly that transparency is vital. And especially during uncertain economic times, it's vital we have transparency in the artmarket."

Goodman, Paul Sumner of Mossgreen, Sotheby's managing director Lesley Alway and Menzies' former executives Chris Deutscher and Damian Hackett are united in their view that art collectors deserve transparency when they buy at auction. The auctioneers are also discussing the formation of an industry body that would establish a code of conduct, as well as act as an education and advisory body for vendors, buyers, government and the art market generally.

Alway says Sotheby's, an international public company, has strict corporate guidelines. "But it's quite common to have an industry group and we would be interested in looking at such a body," she says. "But the issues to discuss are not necessarily connected to the current issues."

Self-regulation could be an alternative to government legislation, a prospect no one relishes because of the administrative layers it would inevitably involve. Meanwhile, art adviser Jon Dwyer, a former director of Christie's, says an industry body would be "a total waste of time", adding that the industry is too competitive for honest self-appraisal.

To read the rest of the article click HERE.

ELG Announces Opening of New Offices and Expanded Mission

Has anyone worked for or heard of Ecclesiastical Lawyers Guild, Inc? I find what they are doing very interesting, with potential for appraisers.

It is a group founded in 1997 as a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt organization which works with donors and locates accepting organizations for the donation. ELG handles finding the accepting charitable institutions, appraisals and all accompanying paperwork, full or partial gift designations for both before death or after death donations. It appears ELG is a turnkey charitable donation organization that was established to fulfill the wishes of the donor of fine art, decorative art collections and religious items.

The press release follows.

ELG Announces Opening of New Offices and Expanded Mission

BALTIMORE, July 28, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Organization Offers Unique Giving Opportunities as a Charity Helping Charities

The Ecclesiastical Lawyers Guild, Inc. (ELG) announced the opening of its new offices in Baltimore, Maryland and its expanded worldwide mission. Founded in 1997, ELG a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, is an innovator in the charitable donation of non-cash assets, particularly fine art, with full services ranging from initial appraisal and marketing of assets, to donation of proceeds and appropriate tax documentation.

"We are excited about the move," said CEO Charles H. Nalls. "Our new location will allow better access for our donors, and room to better serve charities receiving donations," he added.

Nalls went on to note that ELG, originally founded by a group of religious attorneys in Georgia, has expanded its mission and includes consultants, experts and staff with a variety of substantive backgrounds, all dedicated to insuring that the charitable donation of fine art and related assets are easy and efficient, and tailored to meet the donor's requirements. ELG is structured to allocate substantial amounts of fiscal resources to recipient charities ensuring maximum return for donated assets, with minimum administrative costs.

ELG maintains a growing list of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations to which it contribute, including military, health, international, educational, religious and faith-based charities. Donors may also designate 501(c)(3) qualified recipients of proceeds in advance of their gifts.

ELG's expanding mission includes Fostering Futures, a distinct project, and direct support to children's health and education programs worldwide. These initiatives are being developed by ELG's project team located in Miami, Florida.

The new Baltimore headquarters is located at 1120 North Charles Street, Fourth Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21210. The Baltimore-based management team oversees the work of affiliate offices in San Diego, California, and Miami, Florida, to insure a nationwide presence to serve donors and charities. For more information and a complete listing of services, available works in our catalogue and prices, go to: www.elguild.org; e-mail info@elguild.org or call our main office at (410) 685-1109.

News from Washington - Possible Changes in Artist Charitable Donations

The current tax code restricts artists who wish to donate self created works of art to charitable organizations. The current code states that artists may only deduct the cost of materials, with no allowable deduction for the true market value of the property. Not a very fair system, especially for those artists who are considered collectible and in demand. The current code actually restrains donations of art by artists, and I strongly believe our cultural heritage is in fact being negatively impacted by the current code. Perhaps help is on the way.

Sen Patrick Leahy of Vermont introduced Senate bill S.548 (click to read) on February 12, 2007 to allow artist created property to be donated at fair market value. The House has a companion bill H.R. 1524 (click to read) introduced by Rep John Lewis on March 14, 2007. The Appraisers Association of American recently sent an email to members about the legislation, urging all to contact and encourage their Senators to support the bill.

The Senate bill has 30 co-sponsors while the House bill has 104 cosponsors. Each bill has been referred to a committee, for the Senate bill it is in front of the Finance Committee and for the House bill it is in front of the Ways and Means Committee.

I called Sen Leahy's office in an attempt to get additional information, but Congress is currently on break. I was promised an update, but I am still waiting. I was of course trying to determine when and if the bill would come out of the committee and if it might be scheduled for a full vote. Checking what limited information there is on the various databases, both bills appear to be working through the committees, but no news of the actual status. According to gov track both bills are "in the first step in the legislative process. Introduced bills go first to committees that deliberate, investigate, and revise them before they go to general debate. The majority of bills never make it out of committee." Given the large number of cosponsors for each of the bills, I would hope they do in fact make progress.

I will post additional updates as I gather more information. If passed, this of course could mean additional appraisal assignments. It is a bill we all as appraisers should support.

It appears government legislation which impacts appraisers is gaining in popularity in congress. Of course we are all aware of the Pension Protection Act, and now there are possible changes to portions of that the legislation (see the blog archives, July 29th post). My belief is Congress feels it can make the charitable donation laws more equitable, so long as the proper procedures and safe guards are in place, such as qualified appraisals and appraisers.

Ebay Vigilantes?

It appears some collectors and dealers are starting to fight back against the fake and fraudulent merchandise being sold on Ebay. The following article in the Mercury News follows several collectors pursing some of the fraudulent items, and notifying Ebay bidders of the fakes. They have been researching the items, finding where they are produced and sold, lobbying Ebay to shut down sales and notifying buyers when items are misrepresented on Ebay auctions.

Ebay of course has a policy against 3rd party involvement, but Ebay also continues to hide behind its privacy policy in releasing information and at times seems reluctant to counter act suspicious items. So are they vigilantes or legitimate warriors against fraud. I prefer the ligitimate warriors, since the official oversight authorities and Ebay seem very slow and at times reluctant to investigate on their own.

From the Mercury News Online by Harriett Ryan:

Fake! Memorabilia collectors track down bogus items in eBay

LOS ANGELES - The pieces of Hollywood history were priced to move, even by the discount standards of eBay. Ten bucks put a bidder in the running for a dagger purportedly used in the filming of "Gone With the Wind," a decanter from "I Love Lucy" and a birdhouse from "Lord of the Rings." Bidding for other memorabilia, including a vase said to be from "Casablanca," opened at just 99 cents.

The bargain-basement prices offered by an antiques dealer on the west side of Los Angeles this spring sparked two reactions online: furious bidding and deep suspicion. While fans drove the prices up - the dagger sold for $713 - a group of seasoned collectors became convinced that the items were frauds.

"The most obvious fakes I'd ever seen," pronounced James Tumblin, a Hawaii resident who said he owns the world's largest collection of "Gone With the Wind" memorabilia.

Unable to convince police a crime was afoot, the collectors became a sort of Internet posse. They traced the dagger to a factory in modern-day Japan, the birdhouse to a Big Lots store and the vase to the former West Germany - a country whose existence postdated "Casablanca" by seven years.

They used their findings to warn other bidders and lobby eBay to shut down online stores selling the dealer's merchandise.

"I really felt people had a right to know," said Jennifer Henderson, a vintage clothing collector who said she and her husband, Bryce, spent "more (hours) than I am comfortableadmitting" investigating the dealer, Global Antiques.

EBay suspended the two consignment stores that listed the items in June. One of the consignment stores, AuctionDepotLA, has since closed.

Auction fraud is the most commonly reported crime online, according to the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center, also known as the IC3. As local police and auction houses struggle to keep up, bands of citizens increasingly are stepping into the gap and making what amount to cyber citizen arrests.

"Our speculation is that the posse mentality can take care of these situations faster than the host can," said Craig Butterworth, a spokesman for the National White Collar Crime Center, which jointly administers the IC3 with the FBI.

To read the full article click HERE.

More on Reducing Risk

In my July 22 post on Risk Management and Personal Property Appraising (if you missed it, check the archives on the side bar) I discussed several methods of dealing with risk, including avoiding it, transferring it, managing it, accepting it, and ignoring it. Of course care should be taken in all aspects of the appraisal assignment and the risk of each assignment should be individually evaluated. I believe the risk management items listed below apply to most personal property appraisals.

Most of the following items fall under managing risk and how to minimize your exposure.

A. Have a "Letter of Agreement" or initial contract with your clients.

B. Many professional appraisal associations have report writing standards and guidelines, and part of those guidelines typically includes having a Cover document to document the assignment. Make sure you have a good Cover document covering such topics as scope of work, limiting conditions, approach to value, valuation dates, and anything else that may effect the appraisal process.

C. Identify problems encountered in the appraisal process several times throughout each of the different report sections. Each problem area should be expressly stated within each section of the report.

D. Specifically identify intended user & intended use of the report. Be very careful when providing copies to anyone unless they are one of the intended users. Again, many appraisal groups require restricting use in their report writing standards, ensure your intended use and users are well defined.

E. Be Careful of Templates and altering and reusing previous reports, you may be leaving something from a previous report that is not applicable in the new report. Proof read several times for errors and omissions.

F. Take lots and lots of photos of everything. Photos are inexpensive to store and can prove conditions and location at the time you view or inspect the property. If I am appraising a large group of property, I take overall images of the room itself, then several images of the property to be appraised, and then detailed/close up images for condition documentation and quality elements of the property.

G. Disclose, disclose, AND DISCLOSE, throughout the appraisal document. Make sure the cover letter covers the necessary items within the assignment and the scope of work.

• What/when did you see?
• What/when did you not see?
• What you couldn't see?
• Who told you what?
• When? Why? Were? & How?
• Outside expert opinions
• Information provided to you by the client, both documented and anecdotal

As the above graphic displays, appraisers should start by assessing risk,then plan to control through policies and procedures, then implement and follow the risk management plan and procedures, then monitor, evaluate and reevaluate. This is a constant process, that is ongoing and fluid. Appraisers should reassess general appraisal risk on a regular basis (such as contracts, verbiage, documents and forms), and asses client and assignment risk with every potential job.

Some assignments have low risk exposure, while others could be very high, perhaps even too high, depending upon the returns. By following the guidelines above the personal property appraiser should reduce exposure to risk, legal issues and valuation challenges. Any readers who have additional ideas for reducing riks, please post in the comments section.

ISA Announces New Advanced Report Writing Course & Bridging with NAA

From an ISA News Release announcing a new ISA-NAA Bridging policy along with a new Advanced Report Writing Class. Contact the ISA 312-224-2567 or click HERE for the ISA Registration page. The new advanced report writing class is open to all ISA members who have completed the Core Course program. The International Society of Appraisers and the National Auctioneers Association are pleased to announce a new bridging policy. NAA members with a GPPA or MPPA designation can now bridge to ISA at the Member or Accredited Level once they have attended the NEW Advanced Report Writing 2 Day Seminar and successfully pass the CORE course exam with a grade of 75% or better. Class Specifics September 16 - 17, 2008 Northern Illinois Satellite Campus - there will be a shuttle bus available both days leaving the hotel at 7:00 am and returning at 5:00 pm Class times are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Breakfast (starts at 7:30 am) and lunch included both days Cost: $650 This class is open to ISA members and is a great seminar to refine your report writing skills. Hotel Information The Courtyard Marriott 2175 Marriott Dr. West Dundee, IL 60118 Reservations: 847-429-0300 - please remember to ask for the ISA room block. Register today by calling 312-224-2567 or on the ISA web site.

Free Home Inventory Program

The Insurance Information Institute is offering a free home inventory program for both PC's and Mac's. The program is called Know Your Stuff (v3). The program has wizards to set up the initial files and guide you through the initial property itemization. Rooms and property can always be added or easily deleted, it accepts images for property and receipts, plus it can generate reports. The Insurance Home Institute site states the software will help create a room-by-room inventory of personal possessions. Having an up-to-date home inventory will help you:

• Purchase enough insurance to replace the things you own.
• Get your insurance claims settled faster.
• Substantiate losses for your income tax return.

I have not used or tried the program, so there is no endorsement on my part. I am only posting it because it is available, it might be useful and its free.

This product might be a good value added item to give to our homeowner clients. It is free, easy to use, and the homeowner can simply document those items which do not rise to the level of a full written appraisal and make notations that a written appraisal is available on others.

The program is available for download HERE.

Dali Gets a Makeover

From the Wall Street Journal by Richard Woodward:

"Dalí: Painting and Film," at the Museum of Modern Art through Sept. 15, asks us to take seriously again the creator of melted watches, lobster telephones, and other surrealist icons. The glib provocateur with his madman schtick and eye on our wallet, the self-promoter we thought had outlived his relevance, is presented here as our contemporary.

Playing down his many unlikable personal traits -- the weakness for dictators (Hitler as well as Franco) and the greed that has led to his freely licensed images becoming synonymous with kitsch -- the organizers from the Tate Modern and the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation (along with Jodi Hauptman from MoMA's drawings department and Anne Morra in film) don't airbrush Dalí's once scandalous art. Instead, they try to find a younger, updated context for his restless productivity.

If the curators are to be believed, Dalí was not an insufferable snob who spent his final years in a Spanish castle with his monstrous wife, Gala. No, he was a populist who ignored high-low distinctions, a media manipulator who foresaw and then embraced the age of Warhol.

To read the rest of the article click HERE.

If its too Good to be True, well, then it is Probably a Scam

The August issue of Maine Antiques Digest has an interesting article by David Hewitt on those fine art internet "bargains" you here so much about. Hewitt's article focuses on two Guy Wiggins paintings purchased novice collector Donald Hart for the bargain price of $14,000.00. The proud new owner contacts the 87 year old son of Wiggins for authentication. Well do I have tell you what the outcome was. Let the buyer beware.

From the Maine Antique Digest Article:

Donald Hart is a self-described "novice collector" who made the cardinal mistake of buying first and authenticating later. After he bought the supposed Guy C. Wiggins paintings last year, he took them into Manhattan to get an opinion from Guy A. Wiggins, who promptly declared them fakes.

We spoke with Guy A. from his East Hampton, Long Island, New York, home, where he was in the midst of the summer move-in. He had been informed that the alleged creator, Ethem Tune "Adam" Ulge, was of Turkish extraction. "I'm very familiar now with the work of this Turk because he's been doing a lot of it," Wiggins said. "If he were a good artist or a bad artist he would have a style. This man is a bad artist, but he has a style. And I can spot it immediately. I've been seeing it show up for four or five years.

To read the full article, click HERE.