More Than Just a Number: Why Discerning Collectors Choose Lindsey Owen Appraisals
For serious art collectors, an appraisal isn’t just paperwork—it’s a matter of legacy, strategy, and stewardship. Whether you’re protecting a generational collection, preparing a major donation, navigating estate planning, or updating insurance coverage, the appraised value of your artwork carries consequences far beyond a price tag.
At Lindsey Owen Appraisals, we understand this intimately. Our boutique firm was founded to serve collectors who demand more—more rigor, more discretion, and more insight behind the numbers. In an increasingly volatile art market, the need for that level of care is no longer a luxury. It’s a necessity.
The Art Market Has Shifted—and So Should Your Strategy
The 2025 Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report paints a sobering picture of the current landscape. Global art sales fell 12% in 2024 to $57.5 billion, marking the second year of consecutive declines. But this wasn’t just a broad market contraction—it was a thinning at the top. According to the report, the most significant slowdown occurred in the high-end segments, where large sales have historically buoyed overall market value. Fewer trophy works came to auction, and when they did, sellers were often met with a more cautious and discerning pool of buyers.
Yet, despite the decrease in total sales value, the number of transactions rose by 3%, signaling greater activity in lower price segments and private channels. The report notes that auction house private sales grew 14% year over year, even as public auction sales plummeted. This speaks to a broader truth: in uncertain times, collectors prefer discretion, expertise, and control.
This is exactly the kind of market where a boutique appraisal firm like Lindsey Owen Appraisals becomes indispensable.
The Value of a Boutique Approach
In a market increasingly dominated by tech platforms and one-size-fits-all services, our boutique structure is intentional. We work with a limited number of clients to ensure each project receives the attention it deserves. This means direct communication, custom formatting, and a flexible, concierge-style process that adapts to your schedule and goals.
Clients appreciate that they are not passed from associate to associate. They meet with Lindsey Owen, the appraiser handling their project, and they know that what’s delivered has been tailored to the exact purpose—be it fair market value for estate settlement or retail replacement value for insurance coverage.
We also understand that the value of art goes beyond dollars. Whether you’re stewarding works by blue-chip artists or collecting emerging voices that reflect your values, we bring deep contextual insight to every project—grounded in art history, market performance, and cultural relevance.
Why Personalized Appraisal Matters Now More Than Ever
The 2025 report highlights several major shifts that are directly relevant to collectors navigating today’s art economy:
The high end is less liquid: With fewer seven- and eight-figure works hitting the market, price discovery becomes murkier—and risks higher. Collectors need valuation grounded in nuanced comparables and private sales data, not just auction results.
Private sales are on the rise: Auction house private sales saw double-digit growth in 2024, reflecting a broader preference for discretion and direct negotiation. This trend mirrors our own appraisal practice, which emphasizes confidentiality and strategic planning over public-facing transactions.
The Great Wealth Transfer is reshaping collections: UBS projects that over $84 trillion will change hands in the next two decades. Many younger collectors are inheriting art, forming new collections, and seeking guidance rooted in values-based collecting, impact, and legacy. An appraiser who can bridge historical expertise with contemporary cultural awareness is critical.
Regulatory scrutiny is increasing: IRS oversight of donation and estate appraisals has intensified, and insurers are requiring ever more detailed reports—particularly for collections held in trust, offshore entities, or corporate portfolios. Cookie-cutter appraisals simply don’t meet the bar.
In short: having a credentialed, experienced, and independent appraiser isn’t just helpful—it’s strategic.
Not Just Reports—Relationships
One of the most overlooked benefits of working with a boutique appraisal firm is the relationship that develops over time. Many of our clients return year after year for updated valuations, strategic advice, and support as their collections evolve. We’ve helped collectors navigate acquisitions, prepare museum loans, handle conservation decisions, and even plan the eventual transfer of collections to heirs or charitable institutions.
We don’t just deliver a number. We offer perspective.
And because we don’t buy, sell, or broker art, our advice is always impartial. That means you get guidance grounded in scholarship, market data, and professional ethics—not a sales pitch.
A Trusted Partner in a Shifting Market
In today’s art economy, global uncertainty—from trade policy to political shifts—can have real consequences on the value and mobility of artwork. The 2025 Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report highlights renewed protectionist policies, proposed tariffs on luxury goods, and growing scrutiny around cross-border transactions. For collectors, navigating these shifts requires more than market awareness—it requires context and foresight.
At Lindsey Owen Appraisals, we draw on a background that bridges the practical and the academic. Founder Lindsey Owen has managed logistics for large-scale insurance claims, worked closely with private conservation experts, and responded to complex collection losses following natural disasters. This experience brings a unique lens to valuation—one that’s as attentive to documentation and compliance as it is to preservation and planning.
Whether you’re assessing the long-term stability of your collection, preparing for a potential transition, or simply want to ensure your reporting holds up under scrutiny, our work is grounded in diligence—not guesswork.
A Deliberate Investment in Quality
At Lindsey Owen Appraisals, we work with clients who understand the importance of getting things right the first time. Collectors, family offices, and institutions come to us not for the lowest quote, but for the assurance that their appraisal will be thorough, accurate, and defensible—no matter the audience.
A well-crafted appraisal can help avoid costly pitfalls, from insurance shortfalls to IRS scrutiny. That’s why each report we produce is USPAP-compliant and IRS-qualified, grounded in rigorous research and tailored precisely to its intended purpose. We don’t rely on generic templates or delegate the work to junior staff. Every valuation is prepared by Lindsey Owen, ISA CAPP, who has deep experience in fine art, conservation, and high-value claims.
If your priority is trust, precision, and professionalism, we’re confident we’re the right partner.
The Bottom Line
In a time when anyone can plug a few auction results into a spreadsheet and call it a valuation, we believe collectors deserve more. They deserve thoughtfulness. Diligence. Accuracy. And above all—context.
Lindsey Owen Appraisals was built to serve the needs of the most discerning collectors: people who don’t want a fast answer, but a correct one. People who see their collections as more than investments—as reflections of personal and cultural value. People who want to work with an advisor who understands the weight of getting it right.
Because in the end, a great appraisal isn’t just about the number. It’s about everything that informs it.
Art Appraisal or Advisory Questions?
Contact Lindsey Owen at:
lindsey@loappraisals.com or
(312)783-8749
