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Guide

Sell with us

We understand the different needs of collectors when it comes to selling the art they own. Nicholas Hall combines the expertise accumulated over the past four decades with a fresh outlook and personalized approach to presenting the works for sale, both in-person and digitally. We are constantly exploring new ways of reaching a global audience while remaining focused and discreet. If you have something to sell, we’d love to help.
sell with us

A step-by-step guide to selling privately

STEP 01

Begin with a free market appraisal for your art collection

Nicholas Hall during a valuation trip to Italy in the 1980s

The starting point of selling is to get a valuation of your work. You may wish to discuss the details over phone or send us your enquiry through email. A good image of the work, as well as the basic cataloguing information (artist, title, medium, dimension) and provenance can get us started. If you have other information that might facilitate the valuation, please do send them along as it could help you save time and resources. In some cases questions about attribution may arise, or an updated scholarly opinion on a work is necessary, we may be able to assist by consulting on your behalf current leading scholars and experts. Please note that due to the large volume of email enquiries we receive, it is regretfully not possible for us to respond to every one. If we believe our expertise is a good match for your artwork, then you should expect to hear from us within seven days.

Should you find it necessary to know the current market value of your art collection and wish to obtain a formal, written market appraisal for reasons such as

  • insurance
  • estate planning
  • using fine art as a financial asset
  • deciding if and when to sell

please be in touch to discuss your specific needs and to receive a quote. Nicholas Hall has participated and overseen thousands of appraisals both for private collectors and public institutions. In some cases, for a single artwork; in other cases, an entire collection.

STEP 02

Agree on minimum selling price and consign to sell

While we do make acquisitions for stock, a considerable proportion of the works we sell are on consignment. We will discuss with you and agree on the minimum selling price, as well as our sales commission, typically ranging from 5% – 20% payable at the time of sale. We are officially authorized to sell the work in question once you enter a consignment agreement with us, which grants us the exclusive right to sell the work for an agreed period of time.

Proofing stage of the production of the exhibition catalogue for ‘Paintings by Carlo Maratti’ in 2017
Nicholas Hall presenting ‘Visiones’ by Francisco Goya in an alternative viewing position
STEP 03

Transportation and insurance

The consigned artwork will be shipped to the premise of our business – typically that is our gallery space in New York, but it could also be at our stand at TEFAF Maastricht or a freeport. We partner with some of the leading art transportation experts worldwide to ensure safe and professional handling of your valuable objects. We also seek the best advice for import and export related issues, if applicable. All consigned works will be covered by our insurance from the moment it is collected at your premise to the time it is passed on to the new owner, including the duration of our custody.

Selected Global logistics partners
Shipping Storage logo_Fritz
Shipping Storage logo_Hasenkamp
Shipping Storage logo_Fracassi
Shipping Storage logo_Kortmann
Shipping Storage logo_Möbel transport
Shipping Storage logo_Uovo
Shipping Storage logo_Mobull
Shipping Storage logo_Loomis
Shipping Storage logo_Crozier
Shipping Storage logo_KunstTrans
Shipping Storage logo_Helutrans
Shipping Storage logo_Gander and White
Shipping Storage logo_Fritz
Shipping Storage logo_Hasenkamp
Shipping Storage logo_Fracassi
Shipping Storage logo_Kortmann
Shipping Storage logo_Möbel transport
Shipping Storage logo_Uovo
Shipping Storage logo_Mobull
Shipping Storage logo_Loomis
Shipping Storage logo_Crozier
Shipping Storage logo_KunstTrans
Shipping Storage logo_Helutrans
Shipping Storage logo_Gander and White
Shipping Storage logo_Fritz
Shipping Storage logo_Hasenkamp
Shipping Storage logo_Fracassi
Shipping Storage logo_Kortmann
Shipping Storage logo_Möbel transport
Shipping Storage logo_Uovo
Shipping Storage logo_Mobull
Shipping Storage logo_Loomis
Shipping Storage logo_Crozier
Shipping Storage logo_KunstTrans
Shipping Storage logo_Helutrans
Shipping Storage logo_Gander and White
Shipping Storage logo_Fritz
Shipping Storage logo_Hasenkamp
Shipping Storage logo_Fracassi
Shipping Storage logo_Kortmann
Shipping Storage logo_Möbel transport
Shipping Storage logo_Uovo
Shipping Storage logo_Mobull
Shipping Storage logo_Loomis
Shipping Storage logo_Crozier
Shipping Storage logo_KunstTrans
Shipping Storage logo_Helutrans
Shipping Storage logo_Gander and White
STEP 04

Cataloguing and due diligence

We conduct due diligence on every single work we handle, using archival documents to ascertain authenticity and provenance. This is an area we care passionately about and we do not take for granted the information handed to us. Most of the works are researched and catalogued in-house, usually with the consultation of leading scholars in the area of expertise. In some cases, artworks require extensive original research which we commission scholars to conduct.

 

Nicholas Hall researching at the National Gallery of Art archive, Washington D.C.
Step 05

Professional photography

In this day and age, photographs of an artwork – most likely produced on a digital screen – play a crucial part in the opinions formed by a potential buyer or an opinion-maker. We are fastidious about providing professional high quality images of all the artworks we offer. Working closely with esteemed art photographers such as Christopher Burke Studio in New York, Artcento in Paris, Prudence Cuming in London, Mark Niedermann in Switzerland, we endeavour to represent the artworks in our care with maximum veracity. Should a buyer wish to make an acquisition from afar (as we have experienced from time to time), they can trust that there are no bad surprises when they receive the artwork on approval.

Photography for The Hub of the World exhibition catalogue at Christopher Burke Studio, New York, 2023
STEP 06

Marketing or targeted offer

We participate in TEFAF Maastricht – the leading art fair for Classical art – in March, and regularly organize exhibitions in our New York space every year. For a selection of exhibitions we produce catalogues (printed and online) with new scholarship. Let us know if you would like to consider exhibiting the artwork in any of our special programs, or to be included in the selection of works for sale featured on on our website. We may also propose print and / or online advertisements of your specific artwork, should we feel that it could benefit the sale.

Alternatively, we respect the preference that you may have for a more discreet and targeted sale strategy. In that case we will work closely with you and agree how many clients to offer a work to and we will communicate frequently on the progress of any transaction. Since 2020, we have developed a customized digital offering platform which allows us to present sales proposals with elegance and individualized content that enables us to connect better with global buyers. All dealings of this sort will be strictly private.

Either way, you can trust that it is in our interest to sell for the best fair market price.

Nicholas Hall at TEFAF Maastricht 2020 © Studio Shapiro, Paris
Notable institutional clients
USA_Chicago_The Art Institute of Chicago
USA_Los Angeles_J Paul Getty Museum
Qatar_Doha_Qatar Museums
Belgium_Bruges_Musea Brugge
France_Paris_Centre Georges Pompidou
USA_Boston_MFA Boston
MFA Houston
USA_Dallas_Meadows Museum
USA_New Haven_Yale University Art Gallery
USA_Cleveland_Cleveland Museum of Art
USA_Hanover_Hood Museum of Art
USA_Indiana_Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Canada_Ottawa_National Gallery of Canada
USA_New York_The Metropolitan Museum of Art
USA_San Diego_Timken Museum of Art
USA_Princeton_Princeton University Art Museum
AU_Art Gallery NSW
USA_Hartford_Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
USA_Baltimore_Walters Art Museum
USA_New York_The Frick Collection
United Kingdom_London_The National Gallery
USA_Detroit_Detroit Institute of Arts
United Kingdom_Edinburgh_National Galleries of Scotland
USA_Fort Worth_Kimbell Art Museum
USA_New Haven_Yale Center for British Art
USA_Washington DC_National Gallery of Art
USA_Phoenix_Phoenix Art Museum
USA_Chicago_The Art Institute of Chicago
USA_Los Angeles_J Paul Getty Museum
Qatar_Doha_Qatar Museums
Belgium_Bruges_Musea Brugge
France_Paris_Centre Georges Pompidou
USA_Boston_MFA Boston
MFA Houston
USA_Dallas_Meadows Museum
USA_New Haven_Yale University Art Gallery
USA_Cleveland_Cleveland Museum of Art
USA_Hanover_Hood Museum of Art
USA_Indiana_Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Canada_Ottawa_National Gallery of Canada
USA_New York_The Metropolitan Museum of Art
USA_San Diego_Timken Museum of Art
USA_Princeton_Princeton University Art Museum
AU_Art Gallery NSW
USA_Hartford_Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
USA_Baltimore_Walters Art Museum
USA_New York_The Frick Collection
United Kingdom_London_The National Gallery
USA_Detroit_Detroit Institute of Arts
United Kingdom_Edinburgh_National Galleries of Scotland
USA_Fort Worth_Kimbell Art Museum
USA_New Haven_Yale Center for British Art
USA_Washington DC_National Gallery of Art
USA_Phoenix_Phoenix Art Museum
USA_Chicago_The Art Institute of Chicago
USA_Los Angeles_J Paul Getty Museum
Qatar_Doha_Qatar Museums
Belgium_Bruges_Musea Brugge
France_Paris_Centre Georges Pompidou
USA_Boston_MFA Boston
MFA Houston
USA_Dallas_Meadows Museum
USA_New Haven_Yale University Art Gallery
USA_Cleveland_Cleveland Museum of Art
USA_Hanover_Hood Museum of Art
USA_Indiana_Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Canada_Ottawa_National Gallery of Canada
USA_New York_The Metropolitan Museum of Art
USA_San Diego_Timken Museum of Art
USA_Princeton_Princeton University Art Museum
AU_Art Gallery NSW
USA_Hartford_Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
USA_Baltimore_Walters Art Museum
USA_New York_The Frick Collection
United Kingdom_London_The National Gallery
USA_Detroit_Detroit Institute of Arts
United Kingdom_Edinburgh_National Galleries of Scotland
USA_Fort Worth_Kimbell Art Museum
USA_New Haven_Yale Center for British Art
USA_Washington DC_National Gallery of Art
USA_Phoenix_Phoenix Art Museum
USA_Chicago_The Art Institute of Chicago
USA_Los Angeles_J Paul Getty Museum
Qatar_Doha_Qatar Museums
Belgium_Bruges_Musea Brugge
France_Paris_Centre Georges Pompidou
USA_Boston_MFA Boston
MFA Houston
USA_Dallas_Meadows Museum
USA_New Haven_Yale University Art Gallery
USA_Cleveland_Cleveland Museum of Art
USA_Hanover_Hood Museum of Art
USA_Indiana_Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
Canada_Ottawa_National Gallery of Canada
USA_New York_The Metropolitan Museum of Art
USA_San Diego_Timken Museum of Art
USA_Princeton_Princeton University Art Museum
AU_Art Gallery NSW
USA_Hartford_Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
USA_Baltimore_Walters Art Museum
USA_New York_The Frick Collection
United Kingdom_London_The National Gallery
USA_Detroit_Detroit Institute of Arts
United Kingdom_Edinburgh_National Galleries of Scotland
USA_Fort Worth_Kimbell Art Museum
USA_New Haven_Yale Center for British Art
USA_Washington DC_National Gallery of Art
USA_Phoenix_Phoenix Art Museum
STEP 07

Settlement of accounts

After a sale, we will remit the proceeds to you within seven days of receipt of funds. Voilà!

 

SELECTED NOTABLE SALES

Can’t decide whether, where and when to sell?

We are happy to advise you on how to maximize the value of artworks you may wish to sell. Depending on your priorities you can decide whether to pursue the public or private option.

Very often you can achieve a price higher than an auction estimate selling through us though the time frame may be more extended. Alternatively, we believe that some works will achieve a higher price at public auction and we will counsel you accordingly. We have placed a number of works privately with public and private collections on a commission basis. Indeed, this is our core business.❖

Yuan Fang adjusting the display of a gold ground during an exhibition, 2024
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