Estate, insurance, valuation, authenticity
Practical guides and free templates
Estate inventory, insurance inventory, certificate of authenticity, condition report, valuation, taxation: clear guides and free PDF and Excel templates, for the moments when an inventory becomes essential.
Estate
Estate inventory: the free template and step-by-step method
Free estate inventory template in PDF and Excel: which assets to list, how to describe and value them, when an inventory is compulsory and who can draw it up.
Read →Insurance
How to make an inventory of your home for insurance
Room-by-room checklist and free inventory template for home insurance: photos, invoices, serial numbers, valuables, and where to keep it all safe.
Read →Artists & galleries
Certificate of authenticity for a work of art: free template and details to include
Free certificate of authenticity template for artists, galleries and heirs: the essential details, edition numbering, photo, signature and mistakes to avoid.
Read →Estate & tax
The 5% flat-rate furniture allowance in an estate: calculation, exceptions and inventory
How the 5% flat-rate allowance for furniture is calculated in an estate, why jewellery, artworks and collectables are excluded, and when an inventory lets you pay less.
Read →Insurance
Jewellery theft without an invoice: how to prove what you owned
Burglary, inherited jewellery, no invoice: the proof insurers accept, the statement of losses, reporting deadlines and how to prepare before a theft happens.
Read →Experts, foundations & museums
Condition report for a work of art: free template and vocabulary
Free condition report template for a work of art: when to make one (loan, transport, purchase), how to photograph, the vocabulary of alterations and tracking over time.
Read →Insurance
Agreed value or declared value: how to properly insure a work of art or jewellery
Agreed value, declared value, replacement value: what changes in the event of a loss, when to get a valuation, and how to keep the insurance value of your collections up to date.
Read →Valuation
Getting a painting valued: preparing the right file
Before having a painting or object valued: the photos to take, the signature, inscriptions on the back, provenance and the documents that change the estimate.
Read →Estate
Auctioneer (commissaire de justice) and estate: inventory, valuation, sale
The role of the auctioneer, now a commissaire de justice, in an estate: inventory and valuation of furniture, cost, auction sale, and how to prepare for the visit.
Read →Tax
Selling a work of art, jewellery or collectable: flat-rate tax or capital gains?
Private seller of an artwork, jewellery or collectable: flat-rate tax, the option for capital gains, exemptions and the proof of purchase you need to keep.
Read →Artists & editions
Artist’s proof, numbered edition, HC: what the markings mean
EA, HC, BAT, 12/50: understand the markings on a print, photograph or bronze, what they change for value, and how to record them.
Read →Choosing a tool
Excel spreadsheet or collection management software: which to choose?
An honest comparison of a spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets) and collection management software: photos, documents, renewals, sharing, security, estates and cost.
Read →Free templates