Outdoor sculptures need special protection when a storm is coming. From left to right: Ram Tomb Guards, sold for $7,995; Kasuga Lantern, sold for $3,998; Pagoda Lantern, sold for $3,690. April 2014, The Estate of Peter L. Rosenberg.

No one likes to think about disaster striking, but it always helps to be prepared. The Atlantic Hurricane Season is about to begin, and could affect any of us living on the East Coast of the United States. The season runs from June through November, and peaks starting in mid-August.… Read More

Commonplace porcelain and glass items generally do not perform well at auction

“You don’t know until you ask,” a client told me the other day. I had just told her that her family’s antiques were not valuable enough to perform well at auction. In the antiques appraisal and auction business, people often show up with entire truck loads of antique items that they hope to auction. I do regularly find rare and valuable items, but just as often I have to say, “no, thank you” to everything.… Read More

If you’d prefer to bring your item to an auction house’s gallery, don’t just drop by. Call first to make an appointment, to be sure the right specialist will be on hand to view your property. Bring all supporting documentation with you and tell the appraiser all you know about an an object — how long it has been in your family, where it came from, when it was purchased, who owned it, and how it came into your possession.

If you’re a collector of art and antiques or the heir to a family estate, no doubt you’ve thought about consigning some of that property to auction. So what might be stopping you? I’ve been an appraiser for over thirty years, and I’ve helped thousands of clients successfully auction their fine tangibles.