c o m p a n i o n a p p r a i s a l s

Companion Appraisals is the Personal Property Appraisal practice of Brooks Rice, ASA, accredited Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers, offering 19+ years of experience as an appraiser of fine art and memorabilia throughout Los Angeles, Southern California, and nationwide.

*com·pan·ion / kəmˈpanyən / : a wooden briefcase used by plein air and studio artists as a traveling work or storage area that can be placed on a French easel or any flat surface.

Close-up detail image of an abstract painting by artist, Pamela Jorden

Painting detail, ”Untitled”, by Pamela Jorden

Photograph of a sculptural "Circle Top" vase by ceramicist, Bari Ziperstein, sitting on a wooden table

Sculptural vase, “Circle top”, by Bari Ziperstein

a p p r a i s a l s f o r

  • Appropriate insurance coverage provides security knowing that you will be able to replace or restore your property in the unfortunate event of damage or a loss.  Defense against loss, theft or impairment is essential, regardless of the size of your collection.  Companion Appraisals produces Appraisal Reports appropriate for insurance coverage and scheduling, creating the necessary documentation should a disaster occur.  Our Appraisal Reports assist clients with providing a Replacement Value in order to aid and recover the value of your personal property.

  • Should an artwork or memorabilia property in your collection be damaged or destroyed, Companion Appraisals will work with you and your insurance provider/adjustor to oversee the claim and produce an Appraisal Report to assist in settling said claim.  Companion Appraisals has 19+ years of experience consulting and working with professional conservators and restoration specialists and can assist a client with conservation inquiries.

  • Non-biased and impartial Appraisal Reports concluding the Fair Market Value of your personal property can be an indispensable and vital document regarding your estate and legacy - as well as an aid in the division of property.  Companion Appraisals produces Appraisal Reports to assist with division of properties and provides consultative valuations to consider additional means of distributing assets and deaccession, including non-cash charitable contribution and potential sales.

  • An Appraisal Report or valuation consultation of your fine art and/or memorabilia can assist in understanding the value of your personal property, the overall scope of your collection as well as an safeguards regarding the inclusive administration of managing your assets and collection.  Consultations also include an analysis of the fine art market as well as provenance research via scholarly sources.

  • Companion Appraisals produces Appraisal Reports in conformance with IRS (Internal Revenue Service) requirements including Non-cash Charitable Contribution as well as both Estate Tax and Gift Tax appraisals.

Photograph of a collection of vinyl records on shelves

Vinyl record collection of the appraiser

s p e c i a l i z i n g i n

  • Companion Appraisals has two decades of appraising fine art including modern and contemporary paintings and works on paper, editioned prints and graphic works, photographs, sculptures, public art - including murals and outdoor sculptural works - as well as site-specific properties.

  • Ephemera is a type of collectible that exists or is used or enjoyed for only a short time including posters, flyers, periodicals as well as other printed matter.

  • Pop Culture collectibles encompass a vast array of items in connection to entertainment including film, fashion, literature and diverse components of mainstream society. These types of collectibles serve as tangible associations to the media and the global cultural landscape.

  • Companion Appraisals has experience in the valuation of sound recordings, including large scale collections of vinyl records, reel-to-reel tapes and compact discs - as well as various elements of music memorabilia including tangible properties owned or utilized by various musical personalities.

  • Archives consist of collections of items or other collectibles that are preserved for research and study including letters, writings, scrapbooks, sketchbooks, financial records and other primary sources that were amassed or created by artists, musicians, authors and other known personality entities.  Appraiser Brooks Rice, ASA has contributed expert market analysis for the valuation of significant archival holdings and gave a presentation on the appraisal of archives at the International Conference of the American Society of Appraisers in 2015. 

*All appraisal reports prepared by Companion Appraisals and Brooks Rice, ASA are in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and comply with Principles of Appraisal Practice and Code of Ethics of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). In accordance with these standards, all our reports are confidential and no part of the report will be released to anyone without the client’s written permission.

* all website images are original photos posted with permission of the credited artists