Fair Market Value Range
Confirmation of the fair market value range based on comparable auction results.
INDEPENDENT ART APPRAISAL
Acquisition Due Diligence — The Appraisal Before the Purchase
Buying art without independent appraisal is one of the most common collector errors. The acquisition due diligence appraisal — commissioned before the purchase is committed — provides the collector with an independent assessment of four things that the gallery, dealer, or auction house may not address objectively: whether the asking price reflects genuine market value; whether the attribution is as credible as claimed; whether the provenance is clean and the AATA status is clear; and whether the condition is as represented.
01
Market Value
Is the asking price supported by genuine market evidence?
02
Attribution
Is the artist attribution credible and adequately supported?
03
Provenance & AATA
Are ownership records clean and the legal status clear?
04
Condition
Does the physical condition match the representation?
01
AUCTION ACQUISITION
Before Buying at Auction
Auction buyers pay a buyer’s premium of 15–25% on top of the hammer price, making the effective acquisition cost significantly above the catalogue estimate’s upper end.
Before bidding on a significant lot, the collector who commissions a pre-bid appraisal from A2Z Valuers receives an independent assessment designed to establish the financial, provenance, legal, and tax implications of the proposed purchase.
Attribution & Condition Review
Identification of any attribution or condition concerns not apparent from the catalogue description or public exhibition.
AATA Status Determination
Determination of whether the work is an AATA-qualifying object and whether export restrictions may affect the collector’s future options.
Capital Gain Cost-Basis Documentation
Documentation of the anticipated acquisition cost, supporting the collector’s future capital gain cost-basis position.
02
GALLERY PURCHASE
Before Buying from a Gallery
PRIMARY MARKET
Gallery prices for primary market works — newly produced works sold through the artist’s representative gallery — are set by the gallery and reflect the gallery’s commercial interests.
SECONDARY MARKET
For secondary market works — previously owned works sold through a gallery — the asking price reflects the secondary market but with the gallery’s margin added.
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Independent Price & Documentation Review
An acquisition due diligence appraisal confirms whether the gallery’s price is within the range of comparable secondary market transactions and whether the attribution and provenance documentation provided is sufficient for income tax, insurance, and future resale purposes.
PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS
Before Buying in a Private Transaction
Private art transactions in India — direct purchases between collectors, from estates, or through informal dealer networks — are the most risky acquisition context because there is no auction house’s institutional authentication process and no gallery’s reputational stake.
The acquisition due diligence appraisal for a private transaction is therefore the most valuable independent protection available to the collector: it helps identify the risk of a forgery, an over-priced work, or an unclean provenance before the transaction becomes irreversible.
BEFORE YOU COMMIT
Independent Appraisal Before Significant Art Acquisition
01
Price
Test the asking price against market comparables.
02
Provenance
Review the ownership and documentation trail.
03
Authenticity
Examine attribution and available authentication evidence.
04
Legal Status
Establish relevant AATA and ownership considerations.
GOVERNMENT APPROVED ART APPRAISAL
Buying a Significant Artwork? Get an Independent View Before You Commit.
Protect your acquisition with an independent assessment of market value, attribution, provenance, AATA status, condition and acquisition documentation.