Answers to common questions about acquiring, selling, and caring for works with Ithaca, and the advisory relationship behind each. If you don’t find what you need, an advisor is always available.
Buying
Every acquisition is handled privately through an advisor. Tell us about a specific work, or describe what you are building toward, and we will guide you through availability, condition, provenance, and price.
Yes. Add any work to your saved list, then share that list with an advisor to open a conversation. We can also hold a work briefly while you consider it.
Often. We advise collectors at every stage, from a first significant acquisition to the stewardship of an established collection, and we hold each relationship to the same standard.
Selling & Consignment
Submit details and images through our confidential form. An advisor reviews each submission against current market conditions and responds within 24 to 48 hours with guidance on the strongest path to sale.
Through analysis of comparable sales, the work’s condition and provenance, and present demand, the same rigor we bring to a formal appraisal.
Terms depend on the work and the route to sale, and are agreed in advance and in writing. There is no charge for an initial assessment.
Entirely. The work, the parties, and the terms are never disclosed without your consent.
Advisory & Collection Management
An advisor represents your interest across the market, sourcing works, assessing opportunities, negotiating on your behalf, and bringing independent judgment to every decision. The relationship is discreet and ongoing, not transactional.
Yes. We work to a considered thesis rather than a shopping list, identifying the works that give a collection coherence and lasting standing, whether you are making your first acquisition or your hundredth.
We catalogue, monitor, and care for collections on behalf of their owners, coordinating appraisal, insurance valuation, framing, storage, and loans so the collection stays fully documented and protected.
Yes. We prepare independent, fully documented appraisals for insurance, estate, tax, and planning purposes, to recognized professional standards.
We advise on lending against individual works and collections, and can introduce specialist partners where a transaction calls for it, always with the value and integrity of the work as the first consideration.
Shipping, Framing & Care
Works are professionally packed and shipped fully insured through specialist fine-art handlers. Timelines and costs are confirmed before dispatch.
Yes. We coordinate international shipping, customs, and documentation with trusted partners, and advise on any duties or requirements in advance.
We provide framing, display, and conservation guidance with every acquisition, and can arrange museum-standard framing and storage on request. Light, humidity, and handling all bear on a photograph’s longevity, and we are glad to advise.
Editions & Authenticity
It marks the work’s place within a defined, limited run. Edition size, printing date, and estate stamps all bear on a photograph’s significance and value.
Every work is accompanied by appropriate documentation of authenticity and provenance, which we research and confirm against the relevant records and catalogues raisonnés before any sale.
Still have a question? Our advisors respond personally and in confidence.
