working with us

Transparency

Our services and business practices are transparent. We begin an advisory relationship with candid discussions about client objectives, aspirations, preferences, and budgets. We balance client expectations with our ability to meet them. To be effective, there must be trust, understanding, and chemistry in a client-advisor relationship. As such, we evaluate our clients, just as they evaluate us.

Professional fees and expenses

In our business, one size does not fit all. Different projects require variable commitments and time. Because of this, we do not work on retainer.

Typically, individual art acquisitions are commission-based. We calculate our commissions on the basis of a work’s full retail price. As we leverage our dealer relationships, we pass along negotiated discounts on retail prices. In the interest of complete transparency, we do not pay any client invoices. We do not double dip.

The cost of some services—insurance, shipping, storage, and viewings—are incremental. Again the client is billed directly for these add-ons. Nonetheless, we absorb the cost of professional time associated with providing these services.

Some projects—for example, collection and database management, insurance valuation, research and documentation—are best managed on a hourly basis.

All client expenses are charged at direct costs without markup. These expenses are generally associated with client-approved or -accompanied travel.