We realize collectors have choices for inventory services: insurance companies, auction houses, and wealth managers may offer similar services often at little or no cost. However, for these professionals your inventory (and related data and document management) is some distance from their primary goal and expertise: to sell you insurance year after year, to reap a commission when you or your heirs opt to sell, or to manage your financial assets.
JWSC does not exhibit, sell, or buy art or advise on specific acquisitions. We strive only to create the best catalogues and archives for your art and to be an unbiased, impartial resource for all our collectors, large and small. In turn, the caliber of our clients who recognize the benefits of our commitment and advocacy continues to strengthen our effectiveness.
Documenting and communicating the best practices of art collectors and the experts they trust in various fields makes us unique. JWSC has a growing roster of professionals to recommend in the fields of conservation, preservation, insurance, appraisal, art handling and warehousing, estate planning, and more. Following are some common questions and our answers to illustrate the key concepts of our work.
My secretary maintains a simple spreadsheet for my art collection inventory. Why do I need more than that?
There is no doubt among data managers that databases are more powerful and flexible than a typical spreadsheet, but for the art collector focused on installing art not software the most noticeable advantage of a professional database is the incorporation of illustrations, something spreadsheets just don't do effectively. JWSC always reconciles old lists while compiling a new databased inventory, and by adding current photography of each work of art we can quickly locate "phantom" line items, conservation issues, and location changes that often go undetected with a large spreadsheet. Also, because JWSC staff is experienced with art terms and materials and uses museum-standard descriptive strategies, we often significantly improve the caliber of your record-keeping while freeing your office staff.
Additionally, we host collection data securely on our servers with redundant data backup so you enjoy all the advantages of professional software, the latest hardware, and our trained staff for one low annual fee.
I keep all my art receipts in a big three-ring binder. I can usually find what I'm looking for, but is this the best storage strategy in the long run?
Many collectors routinely "punch and bind" their purchase documents, adding new invoices on top of old and creating a basic chronology of their collecting efforts. This is a punishing strategy for your important originals since to find any one document you have to flip through everything. Collectors often find their binders are quickly overwhelmed: appraisals, correspondence, auction notices and results, as well as valuable transparencies and essential certificates of authenticity end up elsewhere in a jumble.
JWSC can create a simple archive (one folder per work of art housed in acid-free boxes or hanging files) so you can quickly locate all originals when needed. More importantly, by digitizing every document and image your collection records become reproducible and can be safely distributed without jeopardizing your archive. Finally, using the power of our professional database, JWSC can sort, search, and filter your collection records in seconds replacing hours of tedious paper shuffling.
JWSC is committed to the preservation of art and collection records. If you would like to learn more independently please review the links section "Resources for Preservation"
When I purchased a vintage photograph recently, the dealer told me I didn't need a detailed provenance in writing because he knew the history of the print. Is he giving me the best advice?
Even the most venerable galleries representing today's important artists can only survive if they sell works of art at a profit. More often than not, it falls to the lowest level gallery staff or even an unpaid intern to attend to mundane tasks like preparing invoices and statements of provenance (the chain of ownership of a work of art). JWSC can help you be sure your purchase documents are accurate and complete before you finalize a purchase, paying special attention to publication, exhibition, and provenance. If your dealer can't or won't provide you with a clear statement of provenance, or pressures you to pay in full before you have reviewed the documentation that accompanies the sale, title or authenticity may be in question.
I inherited my collection -- my parents and grandparents never told me much about my paintings, and I don't really know what they're worth. How can I learn about what I have and prepare for the future?
Planning for your collection and capturing its value should begin with an inventory and this is especially true for a collection accumulated over several generations. Available historical documentation can be made accessible to you and your advisors via digitization, and preserving originals can deepen your legacy and add value to your asset.
JWSC can provide the ultimate in digital inventories, hosting your important collection records securely, and allowing for illustrated catalogues to be generated for years. Additionally, digitized record-keeping makes the work of professional appraisers easier and more accurate and allows you to seek multiple valuations simultaneously. Once a sound archive and a flexible illustrated inventory is in place, JWSC can provide professional research services to identify artists and makers, place works of art in context, and fill in or verify missing or weak provenance records.