The art inventory every estate needs
Estates stall when nobody knows what the art is, where it came from or what it is worth. Help clients leave a complete, documented record.
A complete inventory, built before it is needed
An estate inventory needs more than a list of titles. Each work in ArtCollection.io carries its images, artist, dimensions, edition, location, status and purchase history, with provenance, exhibition history and literature recorded in full and the documents attached.
- Provenance with documentsOwnership history in full, with bills of sale and certificates attached.
- Locations and statusWhere every work is, and whether it is owned, on loan or sold.
- Inventory numbersEvery work gets an inventory ID automatically.
- Medium
- porcelain enamel on steel
- Location
- Residence — Library
- Acquired
- Contemporary Day Auction, May 2026
- Condition
- Excellent (2026 report)
- Hammer price
- $4,500,000
Appraisals and values kept with each work
Store every appraisal against the work it covers, with its date, value, notes and report, and record market, replacement and insurance values separately. Collection analytics totals them across the estate.
- Appraisal historyEvery appraisal, dated and attached.
- Separate valuesMarket, replacement and insurance values, each in its own currency.
- Comparable salesAuction results for each artist to support the conversation with appraisers.
Easy to hand to attorneys, appraisers and heirs
Export the collection as per-work PDF reports, a contact sheet for quick identification, an inventory table or a CSV. Share selected works through a private room and choose which details appear.
- Contact sheets4, 6, 9 or 12 works per page for walk-throughs and identification.
- Inventory tablesThe whole collection as a printable table.
- Private roomsShare a selection, with purchase price and valuation shown only if you choose.
Building an estate-ready inventory
A practical sequence for planners and their clients.
- 01
Gather what exists
Import the client's spreadsheet or insurance schedule as CSV, or catalogue room by room with the mobile app.
- 02
Document and value
Attach provenance and invoices, record appraisals, and note each work's location and status.
- 03
Export for the plan
Produce reports and contact sheets for attorneys, appraisers and family.
What makes the record useful later
- Typed attachmentsDocuments filed under purchase, valuation, insurance, provenance, exhibition, literature and condition.
- Collection analyticsTotals by artist, category, status and location.
- Multi-currencyValues recorded in the currency they were given in.
- Other collectiblesFurniture and decorative objects alongside the art.
- Market emailsResults and upcoming sales for the artists in the estate.
- Mobile appsCatalogue on site with iOS and Android.
Questions from estate planners
Why does art need its own estate inventory?
Art is often valuable, hard to identify from a description alone and spread across several locations. Without images, provenance and appraisals, executors and heirs struggle to account for it, insure it or divide it.
What should an art inventory for estate planning include?
For each work: images, artist, title, date, medium, dimensions, location, purchase records, provenance, condition notes and the latest appraisal. ArtCollection.io has a field and an attachment for each.
Can we store formal appraisals?
Yes. Each work can hold any number of appraisals, each with its date, value, notes and the appraisal report attached.
Can heirs or attorneys see the collection?
You can share selected works through a private room and choose which details appear, or export PDF reports and CSV files to send.
Can the client's existing records be imported?
Yes. Upload a CSV, map the columns and preview before importing.
Built for everyone who looks after art
- Private CollectorsCatalogue, value and protect what you own
- Corporate CollectionsArt across offices, tracked in one place
- Family OfficesOne record of the family's collection
- Wealth ManagersBring clients' art into the wealth picture
- Insurance ProvidersDocumented values for every insured work
- Art AdvisorsEvery client's collection in one place
- AppraisersComparables and records for every report
- Museums & InstitutionsCatalogue records and object numbers
Help clients leave a complete record
Start free, import what the client already has, and build from there.