I am often asked this question by folks who would like to begin collecting Native American Historical Art and after 40 years of making lots of mistakes and “learning” from them all I can share the following thoughts:

-become a collector, not an accumulator, meaning  try to buy the best item in each category!  Its all about quality not quantity.

-buy and read three books on each of your areas of interest before you purchase the next item; become an educated collector and you’ll be a better buyer.

-seek out a mentor that you can trust who will guide you along the way, because they have already made the mistakes you are about too.  A good dealer would embrace the opportunity to teach and share their knowledge with you!

-don’t just buy art as an investment, buy it because it makes you happy and you enjoy being around it every day.  If it increases in value over time, that’s a bonus but should not be the primary reason for the purchase.

I would love to help you learn so please feel free to reach out to me at 303-807-1567 with questions…..Don

I get a lot of questions about Southwest jewelry my clients have inherited from their relatives over the years, the most common being “whats this piece of jewelry worth?”  Values of Southwest jewelry can be categorized in to four areas:

1.  Age = is the piece before 1930’s, the era before the tourists began to visit the southwest by rail?  If so it could be worth more than a piece after the 1930’s. 

2.  Condition = condition is everything, almost…. we like to see real wear on a piece but not too much damage.  Missing stones, broken stones and damaged silver decrease the value of a piece.  Ingot silver pieces are generally more desirable than sterling silver pieces.

3.  Desirability = demand changes, and taste change over time as fashion trends cycle.  If you hit it right your piece may be worth a lot…squash blossom necklaces seem to be in vogue right now so maybe you have a winner!

4. Signed pieces = the first hallmarks appear in the early 1930’s as artisans are looking to build their reputations.  Look to see if your piece has a stamp, mark or signature on the back and you might  have a very desirable item.

Always feel free to call or email us with questions so we call all learn together……Don!