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Some thoughts on pricing, and shopping for art on the internet Dear friends, I am sometimes asked how I determine value for a particular piece of art in my inventory. It is an art more than a science to know fair market value. I tell people, if my prices were too high I could not remain in business because no one would buy from me, and conversely, if my prices were too low I would go out of business because my business would not support itself. There is an organic "right" price for a piece of art. A bargain-priced piece of art likely has a problem. The internet has made a world of information available, although not all of it is accurate. One may find themselves in a transaction with someone whom they know little about and have never met. One should be aware that not all dealers are totally honest in their descriptions and offerings and that a little information can be a dangerous thing. Sometimes what is shown and described online is not the same item that arrives at your door wrapped in brown paper. I was recently scolded by a woman who had never collected prints before but who assured me that my prices on a particular item were "too high". I was mildly amused to find out that she had not yet actually examined any artwork first-hand and had only compared price lists that she found online. Unlike shopping for a book or a CD on-line, antique prints are not a commodity. A seasoned collector would happily select a higher-priced example of the same print if it had superb vintage color, pristine condition, interesting provenance, untrimmed margins, a period frame or many, many other reasons. In particular, lately there has been a rash of newly-colored McKenney and Hall and Karl Bodmer Indian portraits offered at bargain prices online. Some of these are "train wrecks" that have been completely bleached, stripped and re-colored. Many were originally issued in black and white and have been colored only recently. If one examines the subscriber records for the Bodmer atlas, it becomes obvious that only about a third of the prints were originally issued with color. Because we almost never see a black and white Bodmer, it is obvious that about two-thirds of the Bodmer's on the market are newly colored. Some of my clients collect only the black and whites because they are so scarce and because they have not been tampered with in any way. We welcome new collectors and are delighted to work with you to understand the nuance of these pieces. That is why we aren't a "click-and-shop" site. We have chosen not to publish some of our prices on line-but hope you will phone us tollfree as we would be delighted to learn more about your interests and quote you on any items you are considering. Best regards, Tam O'Neill
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