50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 450 Who is the comedy, and who is the actor?

Although the Appraisers Association is just a platform and is not responsible for offering rewards, it would be a big problem if there were items on the platform that even their appraisers couldn't identify.

The M Country Appraisers Association is arguably the most authoritative appraisal institution in the entire M country. If even they can't solve the problem, doesn't that mean that the appraisers they train are not competent?

How can that be done!

Therefore, for every appraisal reward offered, the association must find a suitable appraiser for the collector and provide them with the correct appraisal result.

There have been many instances in the past where collectors have brought out antiques that were extremely difficult to authenticate, and no one in the entire M Country Appraisers Association could handle them.

Whenever such an awkward situation arises, the team will always mobilize their financial resources and connections to secretly bring in a veteran appraiser from Europe to help resolve the problem.

After all, Country M is just an immigrant country with a short history and a lack of cultural heritage.

In Europe, however, much valuable knowledge was passed down through generations of noble families.

The children of noble families might be playing with ancient Roman artifacts as toys when they are only 3 years old. How can those half-baked appraisers trained by the M Country Appraisers Association compare?

Of course, hiring a veteran appraisal master would be very expensive.

The association has spent far more on personal relationships and expenses than the collectors have offered for authentication, but the association doesn't care.

As long as they can maintain the prestigious reputation of the M Country Appraisers Association, money is no problem at all.

Although the appraisers of the Appraisers Association are still not as good as those of the established European powers in the field of antique appraisal, their progress is quite remarkable.

The association's appraisers are constantly improving, and they will also focus on cultivating some promising young talents.

For example, Sun Zhiwei has now caught the eye of the association president, Fernando.

“Mr. James, I have been following you and the various antiques you have appraised for the past few years.”

"To be honest, I am quite surprised. Judging from the results, none of the thousands of antiques you have appraised to date have been proven to be incorrect."

Fernando only received a few thousand data points, but in reality, there were certainly more.

Fernando was unaware of the more than 5000 antiques at Old Lancaster's place because Sun Zhiwei did not issue any authentication certificates.

"You have a pair of wise eyes, like the golden eye that can distinguish truth from falsehood."

"You flatter me, Mr. Chairman. Is there something you need me to do?"

"Here's the thing, James. You've been working in the industry for three years since you got your appraiser certificate. I'd like to recommend you for a full membership in the association."

Sun Zhiwei doesn't care much about becoming a formal member; his antique appraisal business is thriving, and he has more and more clients.

He felt that these identification services were becoming too frequent and were interfering with his main job: intelligence gathering.

Seeing that Sun Zhiwei didn't seem very interested, old Fernando quickly understood his thoughts.

"James, you may not know the benefits of becoming a full member."

"Formal members can share information on the association's platform and receive high-paying appraisal rewards. Many appraisal tasks for foreign antiques can only be accepted by formal members of the association."

"Most importantly, the association's resources and platform will make you more famous and increase your market value."

"I heard you're charging $5000 for signing a single certificate now. Do you think that's too high?" Sun Zhiwei thought for a moment before replying, "It should be considered high."

He wasn't very familiar with the inside story of the antique appraisal industry, but considering that the average annual salary in the US is $1.2, this amount is indeed very high.

"What you may not know is that in high-end appraisals, a famous appraiser can charge at least ten thousand US dollars for signing an appraisal."

"Many famous collectors are not short of money, and they would never entrust their treasures to an appraiser who is not famous."

"In our association, there are 23 veteran appraisal masters who only make a few appraisals a year, but their total annual income from signing documents is more than 10 times yours."

The income the chairman mentioned only refers to income from appraisal. Sun Zhiwei appraises dozens of items on average each month, and his annual income from appraisals and signatures is around $500,000.

Ten times that is five million US dollars. Do veteran appraisers really earn that much? This was only the 1980s; the US dollar was still very valuable.

However, when he thought that there were only a few dozen appraisal masters in the entire country, he calmed down.

No matter the industry, only a few people stand at the top, and they can be classified as the upper class.

Those appraisal masters have also built their reputation over time, and none of them are under 50 years old.

The reason they only conduct appraisals a few times a year is to protect their reputation and brand. They avoid any appraisals that might go wrong, and are unwilling to get involved in them at all.

Moreover, most of these appraisal masters are both appraisers and collectors. Their income is enough to live comfortably, but it is quite tight when it comes to buying antiques.

However, the platform of this appraisers association really impressed Sun Zhiwei.

He knew about the platform before, but it was only open to association members, and he had only heard some dubious rumors about it.

Now that he has become a formal member of the association and gained access to this platform, he will not miss this opportunity.

"Mr. President, what are the procedures for becoming a member of the association?"

"It's not difficult. As long as you meet the requirements and have someone to introduce you, you can join."

In reality, it's not that simple; the so-called conditions are not the simple conditions that the association has announced to the public.

Having a professional qualification certificate or having worked in the industry for three years are the most basic requirements.

However, only a small number of appraisers can actually pass the association's review and become formal members, as there are many hidden barriers to entry.

Just like Norman Simmons, the appraiser in his shop, and Edwin Raymond, the appraiser he met at the M Army base in Beniche Port years ago.

Both of them have appraisal certificates and have been working in the industry for decades, but they have not become formal members of the appraisers association.

Don't underestimate the M Country Appraisers Association just because it's a private organization. It wields pricing power in the antiques industry, which is a formidable force.

It can render a priceless antique purchased by a tycoon worthless at any time, and it can also turn a banana hanging on the wall into a work of art.

Image: "Comedian" by Italian artist Cattelan, 2019.

The Comedian was limited to three pieces, and those three works were sold for $120,000, $130,000 and $150,000 respectively.

(End of this chapter)