OBJECTIVE. IMPARTIAL. INDEPENDENT.
Fine Art & Personal Property Appraisals
Independent appraisal and collection management services of paintings, antiques, furniture, decorative art and all residential contents for collectors, families, attorneys, fiduciaries, insurance professionals, corporations, and institutions.
Serving clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and across the United States.
30+ Years
of Appraisal Experience
Accredited
Senior Appraisers
Nationwide
Appraisal Services
Fine Art, Antiques
& Decorative Arts Expertise
Whether updating insurance coverage, administering an estate, planning a charitable contribution, dividing property, or documenting a collection built over a lifetime, an accurate appraisal provides the foundation for informed decisions.
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Roth | Escher Art Group provides objective, thoroughly researched fine art and personal property appraisal reports prepared by accredited appraisers with decades of experience and specialized knowledge of fine art, antiques, decorative arts, and collection care.
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From a single artwork to the contents of a residence or a complex private, corporate, or institutional collection, each assignment is carefully considered and tailored to its intended use.
An appraisal may be needed when:
Artwork or personal property has been inherited
An estate is being administered
Insurance coverage or scheduled values need to be updated
A client is changing insurance carriers
An attorney or fiduciary requires an appraisal for estate or tax purposes
Artwork is being donated to a museum or charitable organization
Property is being divided
Artwork is being considered as collateral
A collection needs to be documented, valued, or better understood
Appraisal Expertise for Important Valuation Decisions
Clients often contact Roth | Escher during a transition or when a professional, financial, legal, or insurance requirement makes an accurate valuation necessary.
These assignments can involve unfamiliar requirements, sensitive circumstances, and important financial decisions.
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Our role is to identify and catalogue the property, determine the appropriate appraisal approach, research the relevant market, and provide an objective, impartial, unbiased opinion of value supported by appropriate market evidence.
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We explain the process, answer questions throughout the assignment, and provide the documentation clients and their professional advisors need.
Comprehensive Appraisal & Valuation Services
All appraisal reports prepared by Roth | Escher Art Group are in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and comply with the Principles of Appraisal Practice and Code of Ethics of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). In accordance with these professional standards, appraisal reports are confidential. No part of a report is released without the client's written permission.
Every appraisal begins with two fundamental questions:
01
What property is being appraised?
02
What is the appraisal being prepared for?
The answers help determine the intended use, appropriate definition of value, effective date, relevant market, scope of work, and research required for the assignment.
What We Appraise
Fine Art
Paintings, sculpture, works on paper, prints, photography, new media, and other works of fine art.
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Antiques & Decorative Arts
Antique and modern furniture, ceramics, glass art, silver, crystal, lighting, textiles, and decorative objects.
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Personal Property & Collections
Residential household contents, collectibles, heirlooms, furnishings, and specialized private, corporate, and institutional collections.
Types of Appraisals
Different appraisal purposes require different definitions of value, research, documentation, and reporting considerations.
Roth | Escher provides appraisal services for:
Insurance Coverage
Current replacement values and professionally prepared reports for fine art and personal property insurance.
Estate Tax & Probate
Fair Market Value appraisals prepared for estate administration, probate, estate tax reporting, and related purposes.
Charitable Contributions & Donations
Qualified appraisals of fine art and personal property prepared for charitable contributions and applicable IRS reporting requirements.
Collateral Valuations
Professionally supported valuations for fine art and personal property being considered as collateral in lending and financial transactions.
Artists' Estates
Specialized valuation of artists' estates, archives, and substantial bodies of work, including blockage analysis when appropriate to the assignment.
Damage & Loss Claims
Independent valuation analysis involving damaged, destroyed, stolen, or otherwise lost fine art and personal property.
Estate Planning & Trust Management
Valuation of fine art and personal property to support estate planning, trust administration, gifting, and future asset decisions.
Divorce & Equitable Distribution
Independent and impartial valuations to assist with the division of fine art, antiques, decorative arts, and other significant personal property.
Bankruptcy
Independent appraisal services for fine art and personal property involved in bankruptcy and related financial proceedings.
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Expert Witness & Appraisal Review
Independent appraisal expertise, appraisal review, and litigation support for legal matters involving fine art and personal property.
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Independent, Objective & Professionally Supported
Professional appraisal practice requires independence. Roth | Escher's role is to research, analyze, and report credible conclusions based on the property, appropriate market evidence, recognized appraisal methodology, and professional judgment. Our appraisal fees are based on the work required to complete the assignment, not on the value of the property being appraised. This distinction allows the appraiser to remain impartial and unbiased, with no financial interest in arriving at a higher or lower valuation conclusion.
Accredited Appraisal Expertise
Our appraisers combine decades of professional experience with Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) credentials and advanced academic expertise in fine and decorative art.
Thorough Research & Documentation
Appraisal conclusions are supported by object-specific research, relevant comparable market data, appropriate valuation methodology, and clear documentation.
Clear Communication
Appraisal terminology and requirements can be unfamiliar to collectors and families. We explain the process and methodology clearly while providing the level of professional documentation required by attorneys, fiduciaries, insurers, financial institutions, tax professionals, and other intended users.
A Broad Network of Specialists
Fine art and personal property can encompass an extraordinary range of artists, makers, periods, media, and object types. When an assignment requires expertise beyond our areas of specialization, we draw upon an extensive network of qualified specialists and art professionals.
Collection Management Beyond the Appraisal
Understanding value is only one part of responsible collection stewardship. Roth | Escher provides independent Collection Management and Advisory Services for private collectors, families, corporations, and institutions that need to organize, document, research, preserve, and make informed decisions about their collections over time.
Services include:
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Collection Inventories & Cataloguing
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Digital Photography & Documentation
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Collection Database Management
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Provenance & Authentication Research
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Market Research
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Conservation Planning
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Collection & Legacy Planning
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Acquisition & Disposition Consulting
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Collection Relocation & Logistics
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Institutional & Corporate Collection Management
Whether a collection has been assembled over generations or is just beginning, accurate documentation provides the foundation for effective management, insurance, conservation, planning, and future decision-making.
Serving Private Clients & Professional Advisors
Roth | Escher works with a broad range of private clients, organizations, and professional advisors, including:
Private Collectors & Families
Executors & Trustees
Attorneys
Fiduciaries
Insurance Professionals
Universities & Colleges
Accountants & Tax Professionals
Financial Advisors & Wealth Managers
Banks & Lenders
Corporations
Museums & Cultural Institutions
Foundations & Nonprofits
Our experience working with both individual collectors and professional advisors allows us to communicate complex appraisal and collection matters clearly while providing the professional research and documentation each assignment requires.
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles & Clients Nationwide
With offices serving Northern and Southern California, Roth | Escher Art Group provides fine art and personal property appraisal, collection management, and advisory services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and across the United States.
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Assignments range from a single painting or family collection to extensive private, corporate, and institutional holdings.
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Regardless of scope, our approach is consistent: accurate identification, appropriate methodology, thorough research, objective analysis, and clear professional documentation.