These terms will help you on your journey when researching possible cultural type objects at an estate sale.<\/p>\n
Cultural objects are not only sought after by collectors, but some can also be worth a lot of money and strike the interest of universities, and museums.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to mistake a common souvenir item for an authentic old ethnographic object, so doing your homework is a must.<\/p>\n
Since there is so much to learn, the most important factor to focus on is understanding whether a piece is truly indigenous or made at a later date to be sold to tourists.<\/p>\n
Some items are made to look old, but the high-value items are truly old and were not made to sell, but rather to use.<\/p>\n
Most ethnographic art collectors tend to focus on one area of tribal art.\u00a0 The same applies to many appraisers.\u00a0 They tend to specialize in art that came from a particular region.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\nPhoto Credit: Amy Gonia Childers – Brick Road Estate Sales and Liquidation.<\/a> Tumwater, Washington<\/p>\n Some tribal art objects are extremely easy to identify while others are not.<\/p>\n Carvings, Sculptures, wall masks, and items that are human-like will commonly be made to represent the tribal culture itself.<\/p>\n Pay attention to small details.\u00a0 If the sculpture looks old, it probably is, but when you come across a true ethnographic art object, it will stand out.<\/p>\n We spoke to Tami Dickason, owner of an ethnographic art gallery in Newport Beach CA.\u00a0 The items in her gallery are amazing and quite unique.<\/p>\n Dickason buys her items from sellers nationwide.\u00a0 Her gallery is sought after by collectors worldwide due to the wide range of ethnographic art objects she has.<\/p>\n Dickason made it clear that most experts in the ethnographic industry will specialize in one particular area of ethnographic art, therefore it\u2019s important to have contact with multiple experts that can help you when you need assistance identifying an object.<\/p>\n We asked Dickason:<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are some key identifiers experts like you rely on to tell the difference between an authentic ethnographic art object and items that are produced as replicas?\u201d<\/p>\n Dickason said: \u201cReplicas are mass-produced tourist items that can sometimes be decades old, or even made in the same way as the original item.”<\/p>\n She continues, “For me, experience and intuition are key.\u00a0 My first impression or gut reaction sets the tone for how much time I will spend scrutinizing the item to confirm if it\u2019s original or not.”<\/p>\n When it comes to ethnographic objects, this intuition is developed from years of doing business and trading in ethnographic art.<\/p>\n Most dealers will rely on a library of reference books, auction catalogs, and online research.<\/p>\n If you come across an item that you believe is an original tribal art item and has ethnographic value, here are a few resources that will help you research and possibly price the item accordingly.<\/p>\n Not every estate sale you stage<\/a> and price will have valuable and rare primitive items.<\/p>\n Most of the folk-art items found at estate sales include statues, rugs, paintings, and actual tools.<\/p>\n Not all primitive art objects are easy to identify and price.\u00a0 If it looks odd, and you have a gut feeling you want to dig further, it’s worth your time.\u00a0 Never guess!\u00a0 Inexperienced sellers misidentify and under price items all the time.<\/p>\n Like the experts, you must also rely on your intuition and gut feeling.\u00a0 If you\u2019re unsure of something, first ask the other estate sale professionals in our private Facebook group<\/a> by posting a photo, or contact a local dealer that specializes in primitive art.<\/p>\n Rely on the references we provided above, if you didn’t have any luck getting answers from other estate sale professionals<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are various items you could run into at estate sales that could be considered ethnographic art, on your journey to establish whether they\u2019re old or new, here are a few of the items you should pay attention to:<\/p>\n Collectors covet carved wood figures and statues.\u00a0 Keep an eye out for wood carvings that are dark, have split in the wood, considered heavy based on size or have oil oozing from the wood, could possibly be very old and worth researching further.<\/p>\n African carved figures are quite popular; however, the value can vary tremendously because there are also many newer versions of the originals.<\/p>\n These items can be display items, clothing, rugs, blankets, etc\u2026 they often use thread, leather, feathers, and beads.<\/p>\n Native American art is also quite popular among collectors.\u00a0 Use your gut feeling, if it looks old it doesn’t always mean it is.<\/p>\n There are many art galleries in your local areas that specialize in native American Art, adding their contact to your list will help you as you come across a possibly valuable art piece.<\/p>\n Sotheby’s has sold over 2 million dollars in a single month under the Native American Art category alone.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n NW Coast art objects are colorful, they include both wall art, figures, masks, along with small display carved items.\u00a0 They are handmade using natural materials such as bone, leather, wood, and beads.<\/p>\n They often depict birds and animals in the carvings.<\/p>\n There is often a confusion between native American Art and North West Coast Art.\u00a0 Using online reference libraries, local auction houses, and dealers as a resource will prove fruitful while you\u2019re researching.<\/p>\n You may not run into too many pieces that are of aboriginal origin, but if you do, the item style generally stands out.\u00a0 There aren\u2019t many collectors that favor this type of art, but the collectors that do are quite passionate about their collection, and generally stick to this type of art only.<\/p>\n Even newer aboriginal art can be a collectible, they are generally religious, or have a meaning.\u00a0 The art generally comes in the form of wall art, masks, and even sculptures that depict a mix of human and animal in their form.<\/p>\n This is not an easy task for anyone in the estate sale industry<\/a> unless they are experienced in this area themselves.\u00a0 You have a short period of time to stage, research, price, and sell the entire contents of a home.<\/p>\n Time is not the only constraint.\u00a0 Finding a collector locally is also difficult.<\/p>\n Avid collectors of this type of art are willing to pay top dollar for them, the goal is to get the item in front of the right buyer.<\/p>\n Even if an item is valuable, you may not be able to sell it at an on-site estate sale<\/a> easily, the online selling option<\/a> may be a better route to take in order to fetch good value for your estate sale client.<\/p>\n Don’t guess the price!\u00a0 Rely on a professional that’s experienced in primitive art to establish a price if you suspect you’re holding a valuable object.<\/p>\n Art museums, dealers, and resellers score underpriced ethnographic art objects often.<\/p>\n As an estate sale professional, your job is to fetch the highest price possible for your client.\u00a0 Due diligence and proper identification is a must.<\/p>\n A local dealer may be willing to pay you a good price for certain items, and it\u2019s much more than you would fetch at an estate sale because they have specific collectors that will buy it from them.<\/p>\n The odds of a particular collector showing up at the estate sale and paying a high price for the item is quite rare.<\/p>\n Consider listing smaller sized items online to reach collectors worldwide.<\/p>\n Advertising the estate sale via social media<\/a> may also get you the attention you need to sell such unique items.<\/p>\n Ethnographic art collectors are quite passionate and do search the internet to find their next prize.<\/p>\n As an estate sale professional, your job is to empty the home in a matter of days, over the course of holding estate sales, you will gain a lot of experience on various types of items.<\/p>\n The common everyday items are easy to price based on comparisons, however when it comes to special items such as gemstones in estate jewelry<\/a>, and tribal art items, it\u2019s quite difficult to gain that experience if you aren\u2019t regularly selling those items or have an independent experience relating to these types of items.<\/p>\n This type of art is even more difficult to study because there are so many regions and variations, but you don\u2019t want to leave money on the table by under or overpricing estate sale items<\/a>.<\/p>\n In this case, you have no choice but to build a good contact list, and a large library of reference books to rely on.<\/p>\n Use online research tools such as Google Images, and Google search to further educate yourself.\u00a0 Begin by searching for art by region to get comfortable with the different styles.<\/p>\n At a minimum, learn to differentiate the different types of cultural art by region.<\/p>\n How EstateSales.org Can Help?<\/span><\/p>\n We brought the professionals in the estate sale industry together in one platform for you to rely on.\u00a0 Visit our private Facebook Group<\/a> dedicated to the estate sale and auction professionals.\u00a0 Ask them by posting a picture.<\/p>\n Want to reach a wider audience?\u00a0 List your sale online with us<\/a> and reach other areas beyond your local area.<\/p>\nHow to Identify Origin on Ethnographic Objects?<\/h2>\n
Ethnographic Art Resources<\/h2>\n
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Primitive Art Found at Estate Sales<\/h2>\n
Common Ethnographic Art at Estate Sales<\/h2>\n
African Art<\/h3>\n
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Native American Art<\/h3>\n
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Sold by Sotheby’s<\/a> for $250,000<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNorth West Coast and Canadian Art<\/h3>\n
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Aboriginal Tribal Art<\/h3>\n
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Photo: Londoncoin.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPricing Ethnographic Art<\/h2>\n
Selling Ethnographic Art<\/h2>\n
In Summary<\/h2>\n
Expand Your Knowledge<\/strong><\/h3>\n