I inherited artwork. How do I sell it?

Step 1: Slow down and keep everything together

• Leave the works where they are, in their frames, until they have been looked at
• Do not clean, repair, reframe or ‘touch up’ anything
• Keep receipts, gallery invoices, letters, exhibition labels, catalogues and old appraisals with the works; they can matter as much as the art

Step 2: Photograph each work

A phone is fine. Take the whole front straight on, the signature close up, the back (labels, stamps, stretcher), and any damage. Note the size and where it hung.

Step 3: Find out who made it

Search the signature in the ArtSell price database. If the artist has recorded auction results you can see what comparable works have sold for. If you cannot read the signature, send the photos anyway: a specialist can often identify it, or tell you honestly that it is decorative.

Step 4: Know what you need: an estimate or an appraisal

An auction estimate is free and answers ‘what could this bring if I sold it, and where?’. A formal appraisal is a paid written report, often needed for estate tax, dividing property between heirs or insurance. Many families start with the free estimate to decide which works are worth appraising.

Step 5: Choose how to sell

Works by artists with an auction record usually do best at auction, where buyers already follow the name. A group of lesser works can often be sold together. If you decide to sell, you sign a consignment agreement that sets the commission, any fees and the reserve before anything is offered.