What is Early American Style?
Early American furniture is a category of joy in and of itself. Although it is rare now to see pieces from the 17th century – most have been collected and endowed to museums – we at The Appraisal G...
Call Us Now: (504) 282-7611
Call Us Now: (504) 282-7611
Are you aware that the FBI maintains a database of stolen fine art and cultural property? The FBI also maintains a rapid deployment Art Crime Team (ACT) that swings into action when high profile art heists take place. No matter the size of your collection, if your fine art is valued at least at $2,000 and you have an appropriate appraisal, the FBI will swing into action on your behalf by listing your stolen property in their Stolen Art Database. The Appraisal Group is fully qualified to provide the kind of information the FBI requires.
The FBI stolen art database contains about 8,000 listings – everything from fine art to collectibles. In other words, anything that has a cultural value and can be uniquely identified.
When you report an art theft to you local officials, they contact the FBI. If it is suspected that your work of fine art or antique or collectible crosses international lines, the FBI teams up with Interpol.
As a responsible collector, it pays to have a full appraisal of your fine art and antiques. This gives you a two-step approach to securing the value of your fine art and antiques. Step 1: An Appraisal Group appraisal provides the data you need to file an insurance claim. This could be for damage due to vandalism, fire, and/or theft. Step 2: An Appraisal Group appraisal covers the gamut of information the FBI needs to list your work on its Stolen Art Database.
For more on the fascinating story of how the FBI got into the stolen art and antiques arena, read Robert Wittman’s book “Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures”.
As Special Agent assigned to the Philadelphia Field Division from 1988 to 2008, Wittman became the FBI’s “top investigator and coordinator in cases involving art theft and art fraud”. He helped recover more than $300 million worth of stolen art and cultural property, resulting in numerous convictions. Mr. Wittman was also instrumental in the creation of the FBI’s rapid deployment Art Crime Team (ACT).
Protected by an Appraisal Group appraisal, you are free to pursue your passion for collecting and feel secure knowing the wonderful things you fill your home with are documented and protected.
Editor’s Note: Today’s featured image is The Lipinsky Stradivarius, shown here shortly after recovery by the FBI. The 300 year old instrument was valued at more than $5 million. It was stolen from Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Frank Almond,
Early American furniture is a category of joy in and of itself. Although it is rare now to see pieces from the 17th century – most have been collected and endowed to museums – we at The Appraisal G...
As a nation of style seekers, we have, for about the past fifteen years, embraced a new age of Minimalism. Young and mid-career collectors no doubt have fond memories of this furniture from their g...
The Jewish Museum is the latest to display fraudulent paintings from its collection. As fine art appraisers, The Appraisal Group cautions that you should take an appraisal of your collection to det...
Coming on the heels of the Arts and Crafts Movement, members of the Bauhaus who fled Europe in the 1930s gave us International Style. It prevailed for much of the 20th century and is with us today....
Back in the 1990s, Sotheby’s held a breakthrough auction of comic book art. In the years hence, the genre has captured the imagination of collectors the world over. Today The Appraisal Group celebr...
Because the world of antiques and fine art is a volatile one in which fair market values can change with the seasons and with taste, an appraisal on your fine arts and antiques, collectibles and co...