Randolph L Denosowicz, ISA AM, Antiques, Furnishings + Decorative Arts

Voting for ISA's 2021-2022 Board of Directors has ended and we would like to congratulate our recently elected members.

Last year or so, when life was normal or considered normal, I would never think of meeting a client, fellow appraisers, attending a conference, or taking a class online only. But life as we knew it has forever changed. Amazingly so, to my surprise, I have begun to embrace this way of doing everyday business.

An easy way to distinguish between scrap and salvage is that scrap is generally used for metals. Salvage is generally used for everything else, including fine art. I will first discuss salvage value, including where an appraiser might look for comparable sales, and then move on to how an appraiser might calculate scrap value.

Question: I have been asked by an insurance company to provide the actual cash value (ACV) on a painting by a famous 19th-century artist. I don’t understand how to determine ACV for this type of painting. Can you help me?