Demystifying the Appraisal Process: My Article for Artwork Archive

Recently I had the pleasure of being invited to contribute an article to Artwork Archive.

Elysian Koglmeier is the Head of Growth for Artwork Archive, an innovative company providing artists, collectors, and organizations with powerful tools for managing their artwork, career, or collection. Artwork Archive also regularly publishes educational articles contributed by a wide range of experts across the arts field.

My article is titled “Demystifying the Appraisal Process,” and in it I guide readers step-by-step through a typical appraisal process so they can feel informed and empowered when seeking out appraisal services from professional appraisers like me!

You can read my full article online at: https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/demystifying-the-appraisal-process

Many thanks to Artwork Archive for this opportunity!

How to Tell the Difference Between Sterling Silver and Silverplate: Introducing SILVER 101

I'm excited to share a project I've dreamed of accomplishing for a long time: the first in a series of self-paced online courses designed to help people identify their antique and art objects and feel empowered about moving forward making informed decisions about the best choices in their specific situations.

"SILVER 101: Quickly Learn How to Identify Your Sterling Silver and Silverplate to Find the Valuable Items and Sort with Empowered Confidence" encapsulates the process I've developed working directly with my appraisal clients through the years and makes it broadly accessible to a general worldwide audience.

As the pandemic has reduced my ability to meet one-on-one with clients and perform this teaching in person, it has deepened my passion to transmit and expand access to this information in innovative, alternative ways so that people can still be helped.

SILVER 101 is self-paced, available anywhere in the world, and intentionally designed to suit multiple learning styles (audio and visual learners) and individuals with different levels of access to hearing and sight. I’ve included some still shots of the course below so you can get a sense of my aesthetic and approach to content to help you see if it would be a good fit for you.

The content is customized for a general audience of individuals who have silver items and are seeking to identify and learn more about them rather than people who are already expert silver connoisseurs. Silver is a very complicated, detailed, wide-ranging topic, and it has been such a fun intellectual challenge distilling the content into an approachable, easily understandable group of lessons that address the needs and questions many people have.

You can learn more about SILVER 101 and enroll in the class at https://artifactualhistory.teachable.com/p/silver-101

Curious if SILVER 101 is a good fit for you or someone you know? Always feel free to ask me at info@afhappraisal.com!

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to appear on Jason Roske’s show “Behind the Gavel with Jason” to talk about SILVER 101. You can click to watch our conversation and learn more about SILVER 101!

"How to Obtain Quality Art and Antique Appraisals" Article Published on Home Transition Pros

Recently I was honored when Anna Novak, CEO of Home Transition Pros, invited me to contribute an article to the Home Transition Pros blog. Home Transition Pros is a full-service team of transition specialists helping individuals and families downsize and move into a new space. This process often prompts questions about the art and antiques in a home, and my article focused on “How to Obtain Quality Art & Antique Appraisals” to help guide readers who find themselves in need of an appraisal. You can read the entire article and learn more about Home Transition Pros and their services at https://hometransitionpros.com/how-to-obtain-quality-art-and-antique-appraisals/

Value Considerations for Fine Art: My Presentation to the Washington DC Metro Chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals

Last night I was a panelist on a program for the Washington DC Metro Chapter of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), which I am part of as a Business Partner Member. My presentation focused on fine art and my goal was to educate and help the professional organizers in the NAPO membership feel more confident about identifying and recognizing potentially important art in future client homes so they could protect and represent their clients’ best interests.

The panel’s presentation was not recorded but I have subsequently recorded a fresh version of just my own presentation so that the educational content will be available to NAPO members who were not able to attend the live panel, or as a long-term resource to consult again when needed.

While this content was written specifically for the needs of professional organizers, it may be useful for a wider audience, so I am sharing it here to make it accessible to all. This is only a very brief introduction to a very complicated topic, with lots of exceptions and case-specific considerations, but it is my hope this will be a useful first overview for someone looking to learn more about the subject.