Q: I need several art appraisals. Can I appraise the art myself or do I need an art appraiser? Can I look at lists of selling prices for some of the artists I need appraised. Are lists of art prices just as good as appraisers? Thank you for your help.

A: If you need an art appraisal, hire a professional art appraiser who's experienced in art appraisal techniques. If you're not qualified to appraise art, don't try to appraise it yourself. That can be a very bad idea. If you need legal assistance, you hire an attorney, right? If you need medical advice, you see a doctor, right? If you need something done that you don't know how to do yourself, you hire someone who knows how to do it, right? OK. Putting accurate dollar values on art might seem like something anyone can do, but believe me, it's not. Appraising art is a science, not a guessing game.

Books, CD-ROMs or databases that list art prices may present themselves as art appraisal services, but THEY ARE NOTHING OF THE SORT. Don't believe it? Then read their disclaimers-- especially the ones on so-called art price websites. Here's a quote from one of those sites (the letters are capitalized on the site to emphasize that THE SITE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for either their data or any mistakes you make using it-- YOU ARE): "THIS SITE AND ITS CONTENT ARE BEING PROVIDED TO YOU ON AN "AS IS" BASIS AND (this website) MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WITH RESPECT TO THIS SITE OR ITS CONTENT. (this website) DISCLAIMS ALL SUCH REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN ADDITION, (this website) DOES NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT THE INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE VIA THIS SITE IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE OR CURRENT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SUCH INFORMATION CONTAINED IN ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES, AUCTION RECORDS, SAMPLES OF ARTISTS' SIGNATURES, ARTWORKS FOR SALE, AND INFORMATION AND VALUE ESTIMATES CONTAINED IN ARTIST PRICE VALUATION REPORTS." Woah! That's not what you want to see when attempting to appraise potentially valuable works of art.

At best, database resources give you casual random ideas of what your art might be worth, and you can make big mistakes if you misinterpret their data. You see, they give you prices for other art, not your art, and since every work of art is unique, those prices often have little or nothing to do with the art you want appraised. Lists of art prices are useful only if you know how to interpret art sales data, and only when that data is interpreted in combination with additional art price resources, art reference books, retail selling prices, and a variety of other art research tools not readily available to average individuals.

In addition, art prices books, CD-ROMs and databases cover almost exclusively art that sells at auction. Much art that sells at auction is inferior in various ways. It may be damaged, badly restored, second-rate, atypical, or poor quality-- not good enough to sell at galleries-- so sellers get rid of it at auctions. This problem art sells for less than good or better quality pieces in good or better condition, but art prices you get from a list don't tell you that. They don't include condition reports, statements about how good or bad the art may have been, or other sale price explanations. All you get is a bunch of dollar amounts taken out of context-- and nothing more. If you compare your good quality art in good condition to problem art in poor condition, you can value way too low.

Here are some more reasons why lists of art prices can give you grossly innacurate ideas of what your art is worth: