We receive many emails from people wanting us to advise them as to the value of a piece of Bill’s art, or even someone else’s. We are not appraisers; we cannot provide you with this type of information. If you are hoping to obtain value for insurance purposes, an “approximate value” or an “idea” of how much a print, sculpture or painting is worth, please read the following:

Typically Homeowner's insurance policies will provide for "contents". This includes everything in your house - books, photos, computers, furniture and art.  If you feel the total contents in your home, including precious items (art, jewelry, and furs) exceed the amount specified in your policy, then you need to get a rider for "fine arts". Insurance companies will require you to get an appraisal for any "fine art" listed on a rider.

Professional appraisers cannot legally appraise any item they have not personally inspected. Therefore, in order to obtain a valid appraisal, the work must be seen in person by a professional; photographs will not suffice. There is some good information on the Internet regarding many artists' work, so it should be fairly easy for you to compute an approximate value.  If that value exceeds the amount of insurance you currently have, then you would do well to pay to get it professionally appraised. You may locate an appraiser in your local Yellow Pages or by contacting a gallery or museum in your area. For help online contact the American Society of Appraisers.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Should you proceed with sending an email asking for this type of information we will not reply. Thank you for your understanding.