What's valuable? skip value guide
Given the current popularity of TV shows like "Antiques Roadshow" and "Decorating Cents," more than ever people are finding treasures in their attics and turning them into cash. But how do you know what's valuable? Heritage Auction Galleries can help!

Heritage Auction Galleries provides free auction estimates on the types of objects that we normally sell at auction. If you haven't already done so, please browse our recent fine and decorative art auctions to see if we've sold items like yours in the past.

Please note, due to our fee structure and market valuations, there are some items we do not sell; for these, we suggest you try a more broad-based auction site such as eBay:
  • Commercial figurines (e.g. Hummell, Lladro)
  • Posters
  • Post-war Asian objects
  • Reproductions
  • Paintings on velvet

Helpful glossary of art terms

Still think your artwork might be auction-worthy? Before you contact the experts at Heritage, here are 5 things you should be prepared to discuss with our specialists so that they can assist you:

  1. Is it original?
    Are you certain you have an original painting or sculpture? An original print would be signed and/or numbered. (Visit Catalogue Raisonné for more information on how to determine if a print is original or not.) Reproductions, including posters, are not handled by Heritage.

  2. Can the artist be identified?
    Thoroughly examine the artwork for any signatures, initials, inscriptions or other markings that indicate the name of the artist (or maker in the case of decorative arts). This information is not always front-and-center; check the bottoms and back sides as well. You may wish to get the assistance of a framer or restorer to look under linings and frames, if that's possible to do without causing damage.

    With the artist identified, there are several resources, both online and off, which you can consult to learn more about him or her and get a rough idea of their work's importance, including recent sales of the artist's work, museums and galleries with the artist's work in their possession, etc.

  3. What condition is it in?
    Is there any visible damage? Any areas of visible repair? Is the color strong or faded? Is it dirty or clean? Again, you may wish to get the opinion of a restorer. (DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO ANY RESTORATION/CONVSERVATION WORK YOURSELF.) Often, works that have never been touched, though dirty and in need of repair, have more value than ones that have been. Click here to identify and see examples of condition issues.

  4. How was it acquired?
    Did you obtain it directly from the artist or from a dealer/gallery/auction house? Was it inherited? Do you have any documentation to verify how it was acquired?

  5. What other details do you know?
    Dimensions, date, title, medium (the materials it's made of), historical provenance (chain of ownership), etc. are all facts which, when documented, can help determine the value of an artwork. Work from a certain period in the artist's life, for example, might be more valuable than that from other periods; the same could be said for working in a medium or size that was not the norm for the artist.

Get an auction estimate
With the above information in hand, please complete the form here for a free auction estimate from an expert at Heritage Auction Galleries. Please allow 4-6 weeks for a response. An auction estimate is the likely value your artwork would obtain in a Heritage auction. If you need an appraisal or valuation (more formal estimates used for estate planning, insurance, etc.), please contact our Trusts & Estates Department.

Thank you very much for considering a consignment with Heritage Auction Galleries!

Heritage delivers Value - $706,511,635 sold at auction and in private treaty sales over the past 12 months.

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Quality Consignments Wanted

Only 24 days left to consign to the 2009 March Fine Silver & Vertu Signature Auction!

We expect to have one of our Consignment Directors visiting your area soon. Please call to arrange an appointment.

E-mail Jeri Carroll or call
1-800-872-6467 x1444

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