For the last 25 years we have been involved in numerous insurance, estate, IRS and disbursement appraisals for comic books, original comic art, original newspaper strip art and animation art. In that capacity, we have served all sides. Clients who require a formal appraisal for insurance coverage; insurance companies in the case of claims; institutions for the purpose of IRS deductible donations/ contributions; the IRS for the purpose of verification, as well as financial institutions which may be issuing credit based on a collectible as collateral.

The list can go much further including diverse requests from attorneys. We have provided these services for many if not a majority of the high profile collectors, institutions, artists and estates in recent years that have required it. We are proud to say that to the best of our knowledge, no claim has been successfully contested. In this capacity Nadia is a member of The Appraisers Association of America.

The Appraisers Association of America is the oldest non-profit professional association of personal property appraisers in the United States. Members must have appraisal experience for a minimum of three years and must complete the rigorous USPAPP course. The Association monitors current legislation, court rulings and government regulations since financial institutions, insurance firms and government agencies, consider membership in the Appraisers Association of America, essential to establish professional credibility of an appraiser. The news media frequently refers to the Association as the leader in the field of personal property appraising and the AAA has been quoted widely in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Artnews, Art & Antiques and Art & Auction.

The appraisal portion of our business has grown steadily over the years and we responded to the need felt by collectors, dealers and insurance companies alike to expand this service and Comic Art Appraisal LLC came into being. This is an extension of the formal appraisal services that we have been administering for over 25 years and all we are doing now is formalizing and offering this service in a more public forum and on an individual item basis. The reason for this rise in the need for appraisals is simple; as the value of collectibles has risen, so has fraud, the fear of loss and the need for insurance and in particular providing an appraisal for the purpose of creating a schedule in advance of a claim. We have been successful in our responsibility for a number of reasons. We have always formally addressed and documented the 3 basic criteria that all of the above require;

1-Proof of ownership
2-Proof of authenticity
3-Objective criteria for establishing value

In the event of an insurance claim or loss, the more documentation one maintains the better. In addition to maintaining proper records, having an example of art photographed, described, rated and included in a third party's database, satisfies two of the basic criteria; authenticity and ownership. Regardless of documentation, most institutions will check with a third party before rendering a final decision. It is estimated that over $100 million in stolen art changes hands each year. If an object of art is reported lost or stolen and a false claim is filed and paid it is considered stolen art. A good article on the subject appears here: http://www.artcellarex.com/artlaw3.html. The Art Loss Register Ltd. is a tremendous resource. The Mission of the ALR is to recover stolen and missing fine art and antiques and to provide a central clearinghouse for acquirers of art to determine good title thereby deterring theft and the trade in stolen art. http://www.artloss.com/Default.asp "Collectors should consider how to minimize risk BEFORE purchase, DURING ownership and what actions to take in the event of a LOSS."

As far as objective criteria for establishing value - we have established the Illustration Art Appraisal Rating (CAAR) whose goal is to identify the key factors, which affect value in the narrative and illustration art market through a 100-point standard. Not to be confused with a price guide, this evaluation service provides a numerical rating for examples of original art while establishing authenticity and proof of ownership.

We provide two distinct appraisal services:

1- Individual items
2-Collections and/or archives

For individual items or original comic art, a security laden Comic Art Appraisal Rating Certificate will be issued with each rating and a microscopic image of a tiny detail in the art will be captured and maintained in our records and will be available for a comparison in the future. Detailed notes are made about condition of the art and those notes are included on the certificate. We strongly advise those that purchase a rated example of art to read and compare the notes and description on the CAAR Certificate to determine if condition has changed from the time the art was originally rated. This feature establishes authenticity and allows another safeguard measure against fraud.

Condition in a mass produced item such as a comic book is a dominant factor in determining the value. It is highly recommended to have the grade established by an independent grading service such as CGC http://www.cgccomics.com/services/services_and_fees.asp .