That’s gotta be worth something!

I was a practicing conservator for many years. Both of my galleries sold local and regional artists works, rare books and manuscripts and we specialized in restoring old frames, and works of art on paper. SO I have many stories to tell not all of them nice and happy. But one that sticks out as a good reference for everyone to learn from, involved an excited young couple. They had found a piece of art at an antique auction. The auctioneer had presented it as an original, signed Gustave Dore engraving. The frame was stated to be the original frame from the same period as the engraving. This is a very nice engraving, well framed for the period in a gold leafed ornate frame. The young couple fell in love with the detail and spirit of the engraving. Dore after all was a master of masters in his art. They paid $200.00 at the auction and were very happy to have paid this. They brought the piece to us and asked what we could do. My sales man told them we could clean and repair the frame and glass, but he could not speak of more until we opened the framed art and inspected all that was now hidden behind the dustcover.
I also love Paul Gustave Dore. I own a first printed edition of several of the books he illustrated. My favorite is Dante’s Inferno. So when I saw the piece they had brought in I understood their pleasure and attachment to it.
I called them later that evening to discuss further restorations, if they might want them.
Here’s the life lesson.
When dealing with things in life that you hold dear –there is no dollar value. I am speaking of those things are and should remain valueless. We should never even consider the monetary worth of a painting, a plate, a car, a vase, or anything if we are emotionally attached to it. NEVER.
When the young man put me on speaker as I presented him with the various things that I could do for the engraving they had brought to me, I realized I needed to trod softly. The cost for my work and the restoration that I could perform was about$350.00. That included restoration to the frame and new UV coated glass and cleaning of the engraving. I cringed as the wife excitedly told me about the research that they had done so far on Dore. They had found out how well known and prolific an artist he was and how collectable his engravings were considered to be.
I asked what references they were using and explained that sometimes the values presented were estimated or perceived. Then the question that I was dreading came. The question that we have all asked at one time or another when we consider the broader value of something we deem unusual, unique, antique or “surely valuable”.
“We’ll, said the man, I consider the price of the restoration to be an investment, after all this is a very valuable piece of art, ISN’T IT?”
I do not like to deceive or in any other way exaggerate art. Art collection is speculative and one should only collect art that you love emotionally unless you are willing to treat it like a share of stock.
So I replied. “Gustave Dore and his apprentices were first and foremost illustrators. The piece that you have is a page from a book published in about 1865. These books are fairly large folio’s and the engraving quality is very good for a mass publication. This piece however is glued to a composite compressed paper board. In my opinion it wouldn’t be something that you would be able to resell for more than what you are considering investing in it.”
The phone went silent. “Hold on", I said. Why would you want to sell it? Isn’t this one of the first pieces of art that you have purchased? “Yes “Replied the young wife. We are in our first home and we just loved the angels in that picture.” “It has so much detail that it just draws you into what’s happening, said the husband.”
“So how much are those feelings worth?” I asked. “I know”, they said together and then laughed.
There’s the lesson, shared emotion, excitement, enjoyment, whatever you are feeling when you look at that Thing makes it valuable- not what someone else is willing to pay.
The credit card company tells us that the memories that we make on an expensive vacation are “Priceless”. I say the emotions that are stirred whenever we look at that old photo of grandma, or hold that little clay pot we made in 3rd grade, are very valuable. Just like buying food, clothes and shelter because these things are required we must find and hold onto those things that we recognize the emotional value of. So when you still have that antique engraving that you bought for your first home –because it spoke to you and you loved it; it should be treated like the treasure it is. When it stirs no more emotion and cannot speak. Well then you can only get what someone else will pay for those same feelings. And then, just like I am when I get my annual 401 statement, you might be surprised.