ARE ART APPRAISERS LICESNED, LIKE ELECTRICIANS AND DENTISTS?
Unfortunately, there are no federal or state laws regulating personal property appraisal. While dentists, plumbers, real estate appraisers and butchers are regulated, licensed, and monitored by government agencies, personal property appraisers are not. Anybody, for whatever reason, can call himself an “appraiser of art” and many do. All that is about to change. Within the last few years, several laws affecting fine arts appraisal have been passed. And several more are pending. This will affect the testing and certification of appraisers. These laws will effectively eliminate the employment of amateurs, conflicts of interest, and self-appointed “experts”. * (footnote) For now, the way to avoid the faux appraiser is to make sure your appraiser is certified by one of the three major appraisal accrediting organizations, ASA, AAA, ISA.
