Guide · Art Collection Management
Art collection management: document it properly
Managing a collection means keeping five records current for every work: provenance, paperwork, condition, location and value. Here is what each one should contain, and why skipping any of them costs real money later.
The five records of a managed collection
Insurers, appraisers and future buyers will ask for exactly these.
Provenance
Where each work came from: artist or seller, date, price paid, prior owners. The single biggest driver of resale value.
Certificates and invoices
The certificate of authenticity, the purchase invoice and any appraisal, attached to the work they belong to.
Condition
Photos and notes at acquisition and after every loan or move. Disputes are won with dated condition records.
Location
Home, storage, on loan, with a framer. Insurers ask, and so does your own memory after year three.
Value
Purchase price and current estimate, per work. Needed for insurance and for knowing what the collection actually is.
Most collections live in a folder of photos and a half-updated spreadsheet. A collection is an asset; its records should be kept like one.
In development
What collector accounts will include
Private collection tracking
Follow artists and get notified when they publish
Valuation and provenance timeline per work
Your collection, on the record.
Collector accounts are in development. Leave your email and get in first.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How should I document my art collection?+
One record per work: what it is (artist, title, year, medium, dimensions), where it came from (provenance and invoice), what condition it is in, where it is now, and what it is worth. Photos of the work, the signature and any labels on the back.
Why not manage a collection in a spreadsheet?+
A spreadsheet cannot hold the images, certificates, invoices and condition photos that make a collection record useful. It also degrades: nobody updates the file after the tenth acquisition.
Can I use isee.art for my collection today?+
Collector accounts are in development. Today, isee.art is live for artists, and the artists you collect may already document their work here, certificates and provenance included. Early access members get collector accounts first.