The Importance of Timeliness: What the Wiggins?

Often I am called upon to appraise an artwork that a client wishes to sell.

During my research, I take note of not only how that particular artist is faring in the market at that point in time, but also which auction house has the best track record for selling that artist’s work.

With each appraisal report I include recommendations. In the case of sales of fine art, I am available to act as a broker (for a set percentage of the hammer price) between the client and auction house. As an accredited appraiser, I know how the auction world works. Furthermore my certification, experience and reputation for thoroughness carries weight with auction houses. Once an auction house agrees to take on a client’s artwork, it is up to them to place it in a suitable auction.

One thing that I cannot stress enough to clients is the importance of timeliness in the sale of artwork.

The art market is incredibly volatile. Factors other than just the artist’s popularity and quality of their work is at play. The geopolitical climate is also capable of being a major factor, as we will see with the last painting presented here.

Following are six examples of paintings that I have appraised. All went to auction, and all sold.

In five of these cases, the client took my advice and the artwork was listed in a timely fashion with the recommended auction house.

Due to the professional code of conduct (USPAP) that I adhere to, I cannot divulge the potential sale value at which I appraised the artwork. For the most part, though, my appraised value concurred with that of the auction house, who conduct their own appraisals.

Accompanying each painting is the photo I took during the cataloguing phase of the appraisal process, followed by a screenshot of the auction house listing, where the final hammer price of each painting is indicated in CAD.

Painting #1: A wintertime horse-logging scene by Canadian painter Frank S. Panabaker. The date I found the value for this painting was May 25th, 2024. The sale date was February 25th, 2025, for $4000 CAD. The hammer price exceeded that of my appraisal and the auction house estimate.

Painting #2: French painter Marcel Dyf’s vibrant street scene of Paris was appraised in June of 2024. The sale date was October 29th, 2024, for $8000 CAD. The hammer price met the top end of my appraisal and the auction house estimate.

Painting #3: This portrait, by Canadian artist Richard Jack, had its value found October 24th, 2024. The sale date was April 1st, 2025, for $1900 CAD. The hammer price exceeded both my appraised value and the auction house’s estimate.

Painting #4: This landscape, by one of Canada’s Group of Seven members, Arthur Lismer, had its value found November 22nd, 2024. The sale date was April 1st, 2025, for $30,000 CAD. The hammer price fell short of my appraisal and the auction house’s estimate; sadly there is no control over bidders. It still realized a very healthy sum.

Painting #5: This Impressionist landscape by Group of Seven-adjacent artist, Henry Georges Glyde, had its value found January 20th, 2025. The sale date was August 28th, 2025, for $5000 CAD. Due to personal ties to this painting, it is the only painting in which I can disclose that my appraised value was $5000 – which also fell squarely within the auction house’s estimate.

And now for the painting that lost a great deal of its potential sale value due to some very unfortunate circumstances.

Painting #6: American artist Guy Carleton Wiggins was based out of New York City. He was well-known for his paintings of street scenes, often with a snowstorm taking place. The subject of this painting, the Washington Arch, was visible from his residence.

The painting did sell on February 25th, 2025 but the hammer price of $12,000 CAD fell far short of both my appraisal value and the auction house estimate.

Read on to learn why. Take notes. There will be a quiz later.

Wiggins’ work is beloved in America; approximately 98% of all sales of his artwork are in America. Especially NYC.

As such, I determined the best NYC auction house with which to consign this painting. I also noted that the market’s interest in Wiggins was beginning to wane, as it does, so I recommended that my client consider consigning it promptly.

I found the value for this painting on October 21st, 2024. However, my client chose to hold off on consigning it until spring 2025.

By then, wholly egregious political turmoil caused by American President 47 threw a monkey wrench into the plans. What could have been a relatively simple matter of sending the Wiggins from Canada to NYC would now be very difficult and very costly.

Quiz time! In what country does Guy Carleton Wiggins’ work sell the most? Bonus points if you also name the city!

Had this painting been sent to the chosen NYC auction house by mid-November, I feel that it would have resulted in a much higher sale price. Instead it ended up at a Canadian auction house – Canada being a country where Wiggins is relatively little known – in the spring of 2025, when the window of interest in his art was rapidly closing.

Two years later, I wonder what the Wiggins might have sold for had it been sent to NYC in November 2024. Its sale may not have broken any records, but it would have stood a much better chance of realizing either my own appraisal value or, at the very least, the auction house estimate. A look at his sales since November 2024 to the present, October 2024, show that Wiggins’ work has continued to sell well in the USA for a much longer time than I anticipated. Only recently have prices begun to flag.

Some have questioned why I didn’t suggest loaning the Wiggins to an NYC gallery to wait out the duration of 47’s reign. That could be a feasible suggestion for a collector or someone else with the requisite time and patience.

However, this client was, at the time, acting as an Executor. I conduct many probate and Estate-related appraisals and usually the Executor has the beneficiaries breathing down their neck, so selling the assets of the Estate is their priority.

In short, time is of the essence especially when it comes to selling art. If you are considering selling your art collection and plan to hire an appraiser, then please pay close attention to the professional advice that you will receive.

And thus wraps this very long blog post. I hope that you enjoyed it and found it informative.

As always, feel free to reach out to me via the Contact Page.

Til next time!