If it's time to sell, get a valuation

REPORTS FROM auctioneers – and anecdotal evidence – suggest that art, antiques and collectibles are being acquired as “safe-haven” investments in light of the ongoing economic and fiscal crisis. But is it a good time to sell art? Prices for Irish art are down significantly since the peak of the “assets boom” in 2006 and may not return to those giddy levels for years. If ever.

But with the wolf at the door and Government ministers reputedly even eyeing up indebted women’s engagement rings, for some cash-strapped people, needs must. Even prized family heirlooms may have to go.

If you need, or are planning, to sell art then it is important to get reliable valuation and selling advice.

All the major fine art auctioneers in Dublin including Adam’s, Whyte’s and deVeres, offer free valuations and advice.

Whyte’s is currently seeking consignments of paintings and sculpture for its two big autumn/winter auctions: Irish and British Art on October 1st and Important Irish Art on November 26th at the RDS.

The firm’s art specialists, Ian Whyte, Sarah Gates and Adelle Hughes can be visited by appointment at 38 Molesworth Street. For readers outside Dublin, they are embarking on a countrywide tour next week and you can meet them in Cork at the River Lee Hotel on Thursday, July 26th; in Limerick’s Strand Hotel on Friday, July 27th; in Galway’s G Hotel on Saturday, July 28th; and, in Belfast at the Wellington Park Hotel on Saturday, August 11th.

While the valuations are free, an appointment is necessary. Contact Whyte’s at 01-6762888.

Readers living overseas can send images and details to info@whytes.ie for a free appraisal and advice on selling.