Speaking at the 2007 International Appraisal Conference

I recently accepted an invitation to speak in July at the American Society of Appraisers 2007 International Appraisal Conference in Hollywood. The topic of my book FAKE fits in well with this year's theme, which centers around fakes and forgeries. It should be interesting.

Appraising is not an easy job. Art appraisers are often hired to do insurance appraisals, and I imagine that an appraiser facing a faked painting finds himself in a difficult situation. The client, who assumes the artwork is real, is paying the appraiser to attest to the art's value in case it is ever lost or damaged. The appraiser is then professionally obligated to shatter the client's expectations by relaying bad news.

The woman who booked me for this event, who is also a full-time appraiser, told me this sort of thing happens all the time, and is becoming increasingly common. Reputable appraisers will never sign off on things that aren't real, and they're often hired to make their clients unhappy.

I don't think many appraisers are speculating on unvetted art on eBay, but I'm sure some of their clients are. I'm hoping to shed a little light on what goes in in the online world, and provide some advice for how to avoid being taken.