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Message:: [QUOTE="MrNate, post: 291663, member: 5515"]I haven't posted anything about a painting I found awhile ago, mainly because I am really uncertain what to do with it. Here is the story: I visited a local Goodwill and found this painting and huge heavy gilded frame. As I turned the frame over, I read W.K. O'brien and Bro. label on the back. After searching online, I realized I might have stumbled up on something truly valuable. I bought it and took it home. After some more research, I stumbled upon the leading expert on the value of American gilded frames, who owns a gallery in New York. My next step was to contact that gallery. I got an email and a phone call back from the gallery in New York, and what they told me did not, and still does not seem believable to me (I'm not saying it's not true, I'm just saying the amount is preposterous). Keep in mind, this is the authority on value of U.S. gilded frames; he essentially created the market for these frames. What I was told by his staff, was the price to have their company repair the frame was $6,500, and after such a repair, they would be willing to consign it in their gallery for retail sale. They placed a retail value of the frame at $22,000 - $28,000!!!!!! So...$6,500 is an incredible expense. And 22-28k is an incredible price for someone to pay for an old wooden frame. In my mind, I said "I need to find a way to confirm the potential value of the frame to justify such an outrageous price to renovate it" because both are really hard to believe. I have spent some considerable time pondering this issue, which has led me down the rabbit hole I currently find myself in. My next step was to reach out to an appraiser, to see what could be found about the painting itself. I paid to have the painting appraised, and not much was revealed about the maker or the auction value (nominal compared to the potential value of the frame). After that "dead end" I reached out to two other frame restorers, and the other two quotes for repair were $400 (something tells me this might not be the best repair, but who knows) and $1500-$2500 (this gentlemen seemed quite knowledgeable). For my final step, I reached out to a local auction company to ask about the auction value for the painting and frame in its current state without repairs. I made sure to mention the frame was a W.K. O'brien and Bro painting, but I intentionally didn't tell them the valuation I got from the frame expert (because I didn't want to bias their opinion). So, as I see it right now, these are my options on the table: 1. Take the frame to the high end expert, pay $6,500 and roll the dice on how much it will sell for, but also when the frame might sell (if ever).2. Take the frame to one of the other two restorers, but this likely means I'm going to need to list the frame for sale on my own. I'm assuming that the 'frame expert' is going to be able to command a much higher value in a retail setting, I'm just not sure what that true value is.3. List the painting in an auction "as is" and roll the dice there.4. Something else that I'm not considering? It's worth mentioning, that at this point, I purchased the frame/painting for $20 and I paid $150 for an appraisal of the painting, so I'm all in for $170. Here are a few pictures of the frame and painting, the visible portion of the painting is 19" x 24". The frame weighs close to 50 pounds. What should I do??? [ATTACH=full]94485[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]94486[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]94487[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]94488[/ATTACH] [/QUOTE]

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