ART AND ANTIQUES APPRAISALS

LFAS is owned and administered by Juan P. Lluria. A certified member with AAA, in New York City, in the appraisal of general residential contents, Mr. Lluria has over 30 years of experience in the world of fine art, antiques and superior decorative household appointments. LFAS is available locally or in your city anywhere in the USA with proper advance notice by appointment to appraise fine art, antiques & collectibles for clients who need to establish:

• INSURANCE or REPLACEMENT VALUE to cover and recompense  owner and collectors in the event of loss or damages
• FAIR MARKET VALUE for tax and estate planning, divorce settlements, equitable distribution of assets, or to meet IRS guidelines for tax deductible charitable contributions.
• INFORMATIONAL or MARKETABLE CASH VALUE for possible purchase,   collateral loan purposes, or in the event of a forced sale.

• EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION which is similar in many ways to marketable cash value and is for fair sharing of a collection as it is being dispersed among beneficiaries.

Appraisals prepared by LFAS conform to the standards of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice established by the Appraisal Foundation.

             CUSTOMARY REASONS FOR WHICH AN APPRAISAL IS ADVISABLE

• INSURANCE: To determine the Replacement Value, most commonly at retail, of an object in order to correctly provide for insurance coverage.
• CHARITABLE CONTRUBUTIONS: To determine the Fair Market Value of an object given to an accepting organization or institution in order to aid in establishing the donor’sincome tax deduction.
• ESTATE TAXES AND PLANNING: To determine the Fair Market Value of an object in connection with the preparation of estate tax returns, or to assist in estate planning, &/or in the equitable distribution of assets among beneficiaries.
• DIVORCE AND PROPERTY DIVISION:  To determine the Market Value of an object in order to assist in the equitable distribution of property that is jointly owned by individuals, business associates, or corporations that may be changing ownership.
• LOSS OR DAMAGE CLAIMS: To determine the Replacement Value of an object lost or damaged &/or the amount, if any, of any loss in value as a result of the damage.  Utilized to aid or facilitate claims settlements.

THE APPRAISAL PROCESS CUSTOMARILY ENTAILS THE FOLLOWING STEPS

• INITIAL APPRAISAL ONSITE: The time necessary for the Appraiser to examine, evaluate, photograph, measure, and inventory all items that will be included in the Report.
• RESEARCH: The time necessary for the Appraiser to identify marks and labels, verify dates, consult experts, and research values of the items to be included in the Report.
• REPORT PREPARATION: Involves the organizing, typing, assembly, and printing of the appraisal report and photographs.
• FEES: Fees are customarily charged on an hourly basis.

ADVISORY SERVICES

LFAS is always available to clients who seek a personal level of guidance and assistance with the various facets of their collecting needs. In addition being available for appraisal services, LFAS is also available to advise clients who are new to collecting and seeking assistance in forming a serious collection in the acquisition of important items by offering objective opinions. Unlike most interior designers who too often in appropriately assume the role of an art or antiques advisor, LFAS does not work on a percentage but charges a flat fee per day or per service with any travel expenses paid. Juan P. Lluria and his network of associates in a variety of collecting fields are always available to accompany clients on travels to notable World class antiques galleries, important auction houses, international art and antiques fairs to arrange introductions to world class specialists and dealers, facilitate in the purchase on the client’s behalf, and overseeing shipping and handling matters for the client.

Juan P Lluria is well acquainted with the owners of some of the most respected antiquaires in Paris and Versailles and very familiar with their inventory. Mr. Lluria is always available to accompany and guide new North American or Latin American collectors who want to start seriously buying in France and who would enjoy making initial acquisitions of superior period furniture and decorations with the help of an expert insider. Mr. Lluria is also available to accompany interested clients to galleries and auction houses in almost any major city in Europe and the USA. 

Too often, society interior designers presume to take on the role of self appointed acquisitions advisor and too often aggressively encourage the client to buy art and antiques “as a good investment” in order to make a commission from dealers, while usually also charging the client an additional percentage of the purchase. LFAS does not require such a commission from gallery owners. And if the client returns to a gallery or auction house after our time together and later buys independently, LFAS does not ask or expect a percentage of the client’s purchase when advising in this manner. The payment for our service is essentially on a flat fee per day or per service basis. LFAS can also provide various collection management services to private and corporate collectors such as assisting with archival collection records and collection research, being a liaison with other professionals such as art conservators and framers, compiling photographic records of collections, overseeing shipping and handling of art and objects as needed, and assisting in the lending of works of art and antiques to museums for public exhibition.