Local Marketing Power - A Newspaper Profile or Commentary

Stacy Downs of the Kansas City Star has a very good article on appraising along with comments about appraising and valuation from numerous appraisers, including Soodie Beasley of Kansas City who also recently contributed to the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies (shameless plug, I know visit www.appraisaljournal.org to order). An excerpt from Soodie's article will appear later in the week, as her article is next in line.

Over the past few days I have posted about keeping websites up to date both in content and with new technology, I also posted about show promoter Bob James of Armacost Antiques starting an online newsletter. All of this is done in order to raise the profile of the appraiser and the professionalism of the field.

Another useful and proven method of marketing services is to participate in publishing and/or newspaper articles. Soodie has written a very interesting article on pioneering women designers in the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies and now has professional commentary in the Kansas City Star newspaper feature on appraising and appraisals. In difficult economic times, with many potential clients looking for values, consultations and ways of raising cash, an article similar to the Kansas City Star with Soodie can bring great dividends in the form of increased business.

The article also lists the major appraisal organizations, mentions codes of ethics and understanding the differences between consultations and appraisals, notes that appraisers are paid professionals (imagine that), and lists some of the local Kansas City Appraisers and notes methods for selling items. It also mentions the recent decline in values of many items, mentioning in these economic times prices are off 25%-75%.


The article states The actual task resembles more the forensics on popular criminal-investigation shows than the quick televised “Roadshow” conclusions. Armed with a flashlight, appraiser Soodie Beasley fights spider webs and dust as she peers into the dark recesses of furniture to gauge wood oxidation, an indicator of age and consistency of parts. Her sleuthing includes pulling out drawers to inspect the carcass for dovetails. She also searches for labels to discover a piece’s maker.

“An appraiser must rely on a trained eye,” says Beasley, who specializes in furniture and decorative art appraisals. “Signs of wear must be in a logical pattern and not forced as if someone literally took sandpaper to it. In the old days, pieces were cut by stone, which gives a softer polished edge compared to diamond-bladed tools.”

Beasley’s professional-looking attire, typically a business suit, is usually covered in grime by the time she is finished with an inspection. Her hands get dirty, too, so she keeps a package of wipes in her tool kit, which also includes measuring tape and a magnifying glass.

Then Beasley has to write the appraisal, which includes a market analysis and other research. This often leads Beasley to computer databases or the library at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

To read the full article, click HERE.