THE PRICING OF ANTIQUE PRINTS

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW ANTIQUE PRINTS ARE PRICED?
THERE IS A LOT OF ON LINE INFORMATION ON PRINTING TECHNIQUES
AND HOW TO ORGANISE COLLECTIONS, BUT THERE IS VERY LITTLE THAT CAN
HELP THE COLLECTOR TO KNOW HOW THEY ARE PRICED BY THE DEALERS.
FOR WHAT IS CONSIDERED IN PRICING....HERE IS THE INSIDE INFO:

RARITY:
HOW MANY WERE PRINTED?
NOT ALL PRINTS WERE MASS PRODUCED, SOME ONLY A HANDFUL
WERE MADE, OTHERS, THOUSANDS WERE PRINTED.

CONDITION:
HOW NEAR TO PERFECT IS THE PRINT? IS IT FOXED (SMALL BROWN DOTS
OF MILDEW ON THE PAPER), FADED, TORN, TRIMMED, MOUNTED DOWN OR CREASED?
THESE CAN ALL AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE PRINT. LOOK AT THE HAND COLOURING,
IF ANY. IS IT ORIGINAL OR MODERN? IS IT PROFESSIONALLY DONE OR DOES
IT LOOK AMATEURISH? WITH SOME TYPES OF PRINTS, MODERN COLOURING
TAKES AWAY FROM THE VALUE, SUCH AS WOOD CUT PRINTS OR ARCHITECTURAL
RENDERINGS. AMATEUR COLOURING ALWAYS ERODES A PRINTS' VALUE

MARKETABILITY:
IS THE IMAGE POPULAR AND IN VOGUE? DESIGN TRENDS DO AFFECT VALUE

PORTFOLIO SIZE:
DOES THE DEALER HAVE ONLY A COUPLE OF THE SERIES OF DOES SHE HAVE
THE ENTIRE COLLECTION? MAINTAINING A LARGE INVENTORY INCURS COSTS
BUT ALSO ALLOWS THE CUSTOMER MAXIMUM SELECTION. OUR CLIENTS PREFER TO
COLLECT AND DISPLAY MANY PRINTS IN A SERIES, CREATING THAT 'WOW' FACTOR !

PROVENANCE:
CELEBRITY SELLS !! A PREVIOUS OWNERS' REPUTATION MAY CONTRIBUTE TO
TO THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF THE PRINTS, THEREBY INCREASING THE PRICES.

ARTIST:
THE PAINTER, THE ENGRAVER, EVEN THE PUBLISHER IN SOME CASES
IS AN INFLUENCE ON VALUE. AN ARTIST REKNOWN FOR THEIR TECHNIQUE
AND SKILL WILL DRIVE THE PRICES UPWARDS. IT IS ALSO ABOUT CONTACTS.
WERE THEY ASSOCIATED WITH A ROYAL FAMILY DURING THEIR CAREER?
THIS IS ANOTHER FACTOR THAT MAKES THE ARTIST MORE COLLECTABLE.

REPLACEMENT:
THE COST OF REPLACEMENT IS DICTATED BY MARKET FORCES AND IS DEPENDENT
UPON THE WHOLESALE PRICE (TRADE / AUCTION) NEGOTIATED FOR THE COLLECTION
BY THE DEALER. OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN THE WHOLESALE PRICES
INCREASE BY AS MUCH AS SEVEN TIMES, DUE TO A STEADILY DIMINISHING SUPPLY.


WHEN WE CONSIDER ALL THE POINTS LISTED AND DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL
PRICING WHICH SHOULD APPLY, WE FEEL CONFIDENT WE ARE PASSING THE BEST
PRICE ON TO THE CUSTOMER.


DO GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THIS AND DONT FORGET, IT IS YOUR MONEY
YOU ARE SPENDING. PROTECT IT AS BEST AS YOU CAN BY DEALING WITH
REPUTABLE PRINT DEALERS THAT BELONG TO AN ANTIQUARIAN GUILD.
THE CANADIAN ANTIQUE DEALERS ASSOCIATION
IS SUCH AN ORGANISATION. PLEASE SPEND A FEW MOMENTS REVIEWING
THIS SITE. IT IS WELL WORTH YOUR TIME



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