Frequently Asked Questions

General questions

Following are the most commonly asked questions. Every attempt is made to answer them fully however if you still have questions then please do not hesitate to make contact.

Do you travel?

Yes, we travel throughout New Zealand.

Can you value an item via photograph?

Yes, you can always send us photos and description.

I have already catalogued my item, can you just provide values?

Sure, we are always mindful of our fees and always look for ways to minimise our time to save you money. Sending us all you already have about your items will often help with this.

What experience does Fine Antiques have?

We have been operating in the antique and art arena for about 30 years. Attending many auctions each year throughout New Zealand. We began concentrating on valuations following the Canterbury Earthquakes where we priovided 1000's of contents valuations. Today Fine Antiques is more commonly engaged to provide valuations of collections, estates, and insurance.

What qualifications does Fine Antiques have?

Unfortunately there is no formal qualification in New Zealand for valuation of antiques and art. Our biggest qualification is the share experience and acceptance of our historial activity. Rest assured, engaging Fine Antiques to value your assets will provide you a professional unbiased report.

Are Fine Antiques reports accepted by Insurers?

Yes, we have never had an issue with any insurer accepting our report. The opposite is often true, we consistantly get great comments on the detail and references we provide within our reports. Where possible we will provide example and sources for replacement items.

What do you mean by 'independent valuers' ?

The majority of valuers provide services as an extra to their core business - they are not what we consider independent. Often their values reflect what they might sell an item for through their auction house or shop. We do not consider this fair, we value items at what they can be purchased for (often internationally), and to your door. Our replacement values are not based on what we could sell it for, rather at what you would need to pay to receive a replacement .

Questions about fees

We cover many services which all require different forms of work and expenses. It can be difficult to outline exactly what our fees may be without knowing your situation and having an idea of objects involved. The following Q&A will hopefully give you a better understanding however again, please ring if you have more questions.

Can insurance valuation fees be re-imbursed through my insurance claim?

We have never come across a situation where the insurer has not covered all our fees. If you are unsure please contact your broker or insurance company for peace of mind.

How do you charge for cataloguing and valuations?

Flat rates per item (or set of) are charged for replacement insurance value. Hourly rates are charged for sale price values.

Where objects are rare or uncommon an hourly charge may be added for required research.

What happens if there are extra costs associated with the valuation?

From time to time we will incur costs associated with providing a valuation. Flights, rental cars, accommodation, international phone calls etc. Disbursements are billed based on cost (or estimated cost) + 15% administration + GST.

Are there any costs associated with travel?

Yes, we charge for travel based on distance and time for the return trip from our offices in Harewood, Christchurch. Travel within the Canterbury area is taken from googles shortest route.

Where travel requires flights then we simply charge the disbursements (as mentioned above - for the flight and rental car etc). Distance and time fees will occur from the rental car depot. There is no fee charged for time on plane.

Is there a minimum charge?

Where non-air travel is required we have a minimum onsite charge of 1 hour within 15km of office, 2 hours otherwise. For air travel we require 8 hours minimum onsite.

Valuation Services

Information

Other Services

Collections cataloguing
Antiques & art liquidation
Pre-purchase inspections
Sourcing and purchasing agents