ABOUT VALUE

Artwork and the assessment of its value normally responds to the vicissitudes of the marketplace. Since Nagel's death, the market has been up and down. Now that the energy has heated up, the value of certain prints which have not been under the hammer recently, can be a matter of opinion.What we attempt to do is evaluate the print using the following criteria:

  1. Which image?

  2. Signed or unsigned?

  3. What is the condition?

If an artist's entire body of work is represented by 100%, the theory is that a certain percentage of that work will be considered 'poor' (10% relative to the whole); 'fair' to 'good' (80% of the whole); and 'excellent' (the top 10% of what the artist created in his life)As has been stated elsewhere on this site, our personal assessment is that the work created by Nagel 'in his life' will be the most valuable, and within those parameters, we use the criteria above to evaluate the artwork. With the original paintings, guoaches and drawings, since there is no catalog raisonné and no one really knows how much work is in existence, this can be extremely difficult.

NEED RESTORATION?

IF YOU HAVE A VALUABLE NAGEL PRINT, WE CAN ARRANGE FOR RESTORATION AND REPAIR. IT ISN'T CHEAP, BUT WE RECOMMEND IT IF THE PRINT HAS VALUE. CONDITION IS A VERY INTEGRAL PART OF THE EVALUATION PROCESS. COST CAN RANGE FROM $100 TO $300.

NEED APPRAISAL?

We often get inquiries about current value. We don't quote values by email or over the phone, since our experience (with all due respect) is that we would get inundated with such calls and keep us from doing anything else.

If you need an appraisal, for insurance, or just curiosity or you have a Nagel that would compete with us (which is fine), we'll be glad to accommodate you. We charge A FEE for an assessment of value on our letterhead, either through PDF to your email address, or snail mail, or both.

In should be kept in mind that we are dealing with prints that can be over twenty years old. The earlier prints were thought of as only 'posters' and little care was kept.

In addition, since there is so much fraudulent "nagel' material on the market, we cannot appraise a work of art for authenticity unless we have personally seen it.

RATING CONDITION

Typically a four-tiered rating system is used for antiquarian posters:

  1. Very Fine -- nearly impossible for an antique print; like new, no restoration
  2. FINE -- some slight scuffing, invisible restoration or rough edges; perhaps cut linen hinges on back.
  3. Good -- Some paper loss, but not in the image, perhaps some yellow in the 'white' areas (the paper), or fading of the pinks. If restored, must be good restoration. Some visible signs of restoratiion is acceptable.
  4. Fair -- some stains, small tears in margins, folds but no breaks in the ink. Poster is intact but may have restoration
  5. Poor -- parts missing, tears and broken folds in paper, fading and foxing has occured

ABOUT APPRAISALS

We do do TWO DIFFERENT "evaluations" for current 'value', acceptable to most insurance companies or the secondary market.

THE INFORMATION COMES ON OUR LETTERHEAD WITH SIGNATURE AND DATE.

In the first type, the document(s) will indicate current 'replacement costs' only, and will not offer an opinion as to the prints' veracity nor authenticity (since we won't have seen it).

For that appraisel. WE'LL NEED TO KNOW:

  1. TITLE

  2. SIGNED OR UNSIGNED

  3. DATE OF PURCHASE

  4. CONDITION OF THE PRINT (POOR; FAIR; GOOD; FINE; VERY FINE -- see definitions at left).

In the second instance, for an actual certified apprisal, as to aunthenticity as well as current market value, we will have to have seen the print in person to make such an evaluation.

In addition to having the print shipped to us, we'll need to know the information listed above, AS WELL AS:

  1. FROM WHOM PURCHASED

  2. PROVENANCE (HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP)

  3. PURCHASE PRICE

SHIPPING AND HANDLING AND INSURANCE IS CHARGED TO THE CLIENT FOR BOTH DIRECTIONS. Please ship via USPS or FedEx to enable insurance.

FEES:

  1. $85.00, FOR A 'REPLACEMENT COST' letter of Assessment

  2. $125. FOR A BONAFIDE APPRAISAL

  3. PAYABLE BY CREDIT CARD ONLY.