What is a listed artist? Larry Shapiro Appraisals and antiques

Larry Shapiro a personal property appraiser, antique, and art dealer recently explained what a "listed artist " is. Shapiro explained: "A listed artist is any artist that has had past sales of his or her works documented in one or more books or sites that make available such data to the public." "Also, an artist may be listed without past sales reference, but dollar amounts of past sales are most important for dealers, collectors, and appraisers when considering the value of an artists work". " "When considering the value of a single work of art, it is of great importance to compare this work to other like works by the same artist that have sold in the past." Shapiro, who has been buying and selling for over forty years has an active business based in Glastonbury CT.

Larry Shapiro from Appraisalsandantiques.com talks about the art market.

The art market is as volatile as any other market in the antique business today. Buyers must be more astute in their selection for investment. Just because an artist is listed and his or her average sale may be a certain dollar amount does not necessarily insure that the painting you are considering has a dollar amount as high as the average past sale. Now more than ever, the buyer must look closely at the subject matter, the use of color, the size, and most importantly , the execution of the work. Is is better than any of the others that have sold in the past? Is it an average work by this artist? If in fact you feel that it is a great example, you should probably buy now. If it is only average, it is a good time to sit back and wait. When the market turns around you can loosen up a bit as more and more pieces will sell more easily. In present conditions pay close scrutiny to each purchase.