ART ADVICE FOR COLLECTORS WHO BUY, SELL, OR INVEST IN ART

Art advice from fine art professionals like appraisers and consultants costs money, but those costs are often negligible compared to the value of the art in question, or in other words, what's at stake if you make a mistake. More importantly, advice from a qualified no-conflict professional art consultant and appraiser such as myself is all about making sure you do the right thing with your art and your money. I work no angle other than to give you the most accurate honest advice with respect to your art situation, no matter what your situation is. And that ultimately means more money in your pocket, not the pockets of others. I've been in the business for nearly 30 years; I know loads about art, about how the cash flows, about how art and money mix, and about who pays how much for what in a wide variety of circumstances. Art is my job, I do that job well, and for you, that means one thing: MY ADVICE SAVES YOU MONEY.

That's right... I can help. You got questions? Call 415.931.7875 or email alanb@artbusiness.com. I got answers.

I can't count the number of art and money questions I get from people on track for disaster-- overypaying, underselling, buying fakes, believing sellers who misrepresent the facts, thinking they know how to appraise art themselves, thinking all they need is a chart with a couple of prices on it, thinking they know how to read a COA (certificate of authenticity), thinking that a COA automatically means the art is genuine, thinking they know how to authenticate, thinking something is awesome that's awful, thinking something is awful that's awesome, getting sucked into investment schemes, hiring "appraisers" who also buy or sell or who represent artists they're appraising (sorry-- conflict of interest), and on and on and on.

I am astonished by the oceans of people who believe that anyone with a functioning brain can evaluate art, that no special skills are necessary, that anyone can tell a masterpiece from a disaster or an honest seller from a con artist, and nothing seems to convince these people otherwise. They take whatever advice they can get FOR FREE (we all know what free advice is worth and we all know that people who give free advice usually extract their pound of flesh later), they don't think they need professional help-- certainly not the kind they have to pay for-- and think they're perfectly capable of doing it themselves. But you know what? They're not. Not even close. You know when they figure it out? When it's way too late.

I hate watching people lose money, people who think they know something about art, but who actually need help. I even implore some of the worst "train wrecks waiting to happen" to hire me. And still they resist. Well, at least I try.

While I'm on the subject, you know what else I hate? Telling people they just wasted hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands of dollars when they could have hit me up in advance for pocket change to review their impending purchases. Now they have to try and get their money back-- and it's not always easy. But it is always sad.

Simply put, the art world is rough and tough to navigate unless you've been around it for a while, and you know where to go to get what you want. Getting the full and accurate story is often difficult even for experienced pros like me-- and if it's hard for me, it's well near impossible for people who don't know the territory. So if you're unsure enough to contact me in the first place, follow through and hire me (or another fine art professional). Get that EDUCATED NON-CONFLICTED second opinion BEFORE you risk the big bucks, because anything can happen-- and it does-- all the time.

No matter what your situation, there's always a best course of action-- and I can help you figure that best course of action out. Don't go it alone. Hire a pro.

Oh, and one more thing. I don't just give dollar amounts or simple "yes/no" answers. Whatever my conclusion, I tell you how and why I reached it, where you might find more information, and often where my information comes from. And if I think someone can add more or is better qualified on the matter, I tell you who they are and how to contact them.