Basic Condition Reporting Offer

Fellow appraiser Darlene Bialowski sent me a very nice offer from the Southeastern Registrars Association on the new 4th edition release of Basic Condition Reporting. The 148-page book typically sells for $90.00 in hardback and $45.00 in paperback.  We now have a discounted offer, and can purchase the book for $63.00 hardback and $31.50 for the paperback (plus $5.00 shipping). This is less expensive than ordering through Amazon.

To download the order form for the discount, click HERE, or follow the source link below to order online and include discount code 4M15BCRV at check out after you have registered for an account.

Condition is such an important part of an appraisal.  Joseph T. Ruzicka of the IRS just presented at the ISA conference  IRS Expectations and Requirements for Appraisers - Addressing Disclosures on Condition. Given the presentation was about condition and IRS expectations, it is so important to disclose condition information in reports, and this book will certainly help in documenting, using the proper vocabulary and writing style for condition reports. For around $35.00 the price is an excellent value.

Rowman Littlfield report on the new edition

A Handbook, Fourth Edition

SOUTHEASTERN REGISTRARS ASSOCIATION - EDITED BY DEBORAH ROSE VAN HORN; HEATHER CULLIGAN AND CORINNE MIDGETT
Hardback-Paperback-eBook

A good condition report is an accurate and informative account of an object’s state of preservation at a particular moment in time. Condition reports can have multiple functions such as recording the state of an object prior to an exhibition or loan, after exhibition or loan, to assist in collections planning, or as a tool for the treatment of an object. Most of these functions can be conducted by a registrar, curator, collections manager, or volunteer.

A good condition report fills many critical needs including:

• Knowing the exact condition of an object before or after a loan
• Helping staff determine the stability of an object for exhibit or loan
• Limiting how often an object is handled
• Informing object handlers of unseen problems
• Showing the condition of an object over time to determine the rate of deterioration
• Setting priorities for conservation
• Assisting the staff in identifying similar objects
• Aiding in the valuation of an object for insurance purposes

The fourth edition of Basic Condition Reporting: A Handbook proffers a standard vocabulary for all of the individuals in a museum that may be conducting condition reports. In an ideal world, everyone who does a condition report for an item would be trained in the exact same standards, use the same terminology, and use the exact same form, etc. However, the reality is that even if every registrar, collections manager, and curator in your institution does condition reports each report will be slightly different. Then you throw in every intern, volunteer, or student that may assist and you will find a variety of methods and terminologies that appear. This volume provide a baseline that all of these people can work from so that any person who opens the condition report can understand what the problems on a particular piece include.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 148 • Size: 8 3/4 x 11 1/2
978-1-4422-4770-3 • Hardback • March 2015 • $90.00 • (£57.95)
978-1-4422-4771-0 • Paperback • March 2015 • $45.00 • (£27.95)
978-1-4422-4772-7 • eBook • March 2015 • $44.99 • (£27.95)

Source: Rowman Littlefield