Testimonials

{Once in a while we encounter someone who goes above and beyond. Jennifer Stoots is one of those people. I emailed her with a simple question she could have replied to with a few words and a link. For that I would have been grateful. Instead she called to discuss the issue making sure she provided the best referral. Jennifer is a consummate professional who delivered more than I hoped for.

{I approached Jennifer Stoots after hearing about her work from two men on opposite sides of this country—one has a fine art photography gallery in New York City and the other is a collector of Minor White’s photographs in Washington.  They both expressed great confidence in her and, after presenting her with a sizable collection of White’s photographs to appraise in an uncomfortably short time frame, she rose to the challenge, researched, and wrote a well defended appraisal of each artwork. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Jennifer as she is highly professional and delightful and I would recommend her to others at any opportunity.

{I would recommend Jennifer in a heartbeat.  You don’t know you need her until you enter her world of buying, selling and appraising art.  Stoots is insightful and thorough and practical, personable and funny.

{I highly recommend Jennifer for appraisal and consulting services.  I would describe Jennifer as conscientious, detailed and efficient; she is highly regarded by museum curators and has a well respected reputation.

{Of all the appraisers I’ve worked with in documenting charitable gifts of artwork, your work product was the most complete and professional, providing all  of the information required for a valid deduction.

{Jennifer exceeded my expectations. Upon meeting with her I experienced a gracious, unassuming, nonjudgmental person. She not only looked carefully at my work, but also answered my questions in great detail. She instructed me on how to choose appropriate galleries, reviews and juried shows where I could submit my work. She also opened up the business part of the art world in such a comprehensive manner I became able to size, price and consider the tax implications for my photographic work, something I could not do before Jennifer. I continue to work with Jennifer and feel that anyone requiring consultation services would do well to choose her; she is a true expert in her field.

{I so appreciate having you, not only your professional expertise in your field, but also your upbeat, encouraging nature, advising me in the daunting process of being responsible for finding homes for my husband’s life work.

{I asked Jennifer to appraise my personal art collection, which consists mainly of photography. I was very pleased not only with the thoroughness of her work but also with her clear explanations about how she arrived at the appraised values. She exceeded my expectations and I would refer her to others without hesitation. She is extremely knowledgeable and informative. But more importantly, she is passionate about the appraisal process and a pleasure to work with.

{My father was an amazing man and left us with photographs, negatives, slides, newspaper clippings and promotional material related to his photo business.  I wanted to donated his work to an institution but didn’t know who I should take it to and was overwhelmed by what all we had.  Jennifer helped me figure out which institutions would be best to approach, considering that my father was a fine art photographer, photojournalist and a technological innovator.  It didn’t take long for her assistant Randy to get everything organized and documented, creating a catalog that I could present to curators.  Thanks to Jennifer and Randy, I was able to donate my father’s photographic prints to the Portland Art Museum and other institutions are interested in the rest of his archive.

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“I needed an appraisal of my life’s photographic work to facilitate negotiations with a major university that wished to purchase my collection.  The University suggested someone in Seattle as a possible appraiser but after discussion with that person and the University, it was mutually decided that Jennifer would be the more appropriate appraiser.

Jennifer more than fulfilled our expectations by demonstrating a way to create a proper inventory database of my collection, traveling to my studio home for three days to personally inspect my prints, and finally to present us with her appraisal, a highly professional document, rich in detail and fully supporting her valuation.  Throughout our long involvement she was always been willing to talk and advise us.

I would heartily recommend her to anyone seeking the services of a most excellent art appraiser.”

{I found “Orchestrating Your Artistic Legacy” to be an excellent workshop and well worth the money. Since I had met with an attorney previously, I already had some basic knowledge about estate planning. I found the first part of the workshop to be an excellent review, and I picked up several new ideas. The second part of the workshop, which focused on information specific to creative careers, was even more helpful. It introduced ideas, tools and strategies for achieving my objectives, some of which I would not have considered on my own. Finally, the workbook and supplements provided as part of the session will be extremely useful tools in organizing my information and materials.

{An international photographic art collector suggested I contact Jennifer with questions about archiving my work. During our phone conversation, Jennifer’s depth of knowledge and insight was both humbling and refreshing. There is so much I don’t know, and Jennifer helped me understand the various pitfalls and benefits of the appraisal world. I came away with a helpful to-do list, along with new understanding and appreciation about my collection, and the needs and issues of archives in general. Jennifer is smart, easy to relate to, and passionate about art. Without hesitation I would recommend Jennifer to anyone with basic to complex issues appraising art.

{I could not be more pleased or impressed with Jennifer Stoots. Her professionalism and willingness to help us in an attempt to sell a piece of art—a painting part of an estate that we have found difficult to appraise—went above and beyond. I emailed Jennifer based on a referral from PADA (Portland Art Dealers Association) that she might be able to help point me in the right direction in trying to sell an original oil on board painting, circa 1970s. I received a response from her to my email almost immediately via a phone call. She not only gave me honest answers (a few which she knew I would not be pleased to hear) but also provided several options from the best market for this artist to possible auction houses and names of contacts I could try. I will definitely be consulting her in the future with other works of art we might be selling and highly recommend her.

{My wife is the executor of a relative’s estate—a talented amateur photographer who had amassed a sizable archive, including many boxes of slides, negatives, and prints (framed and unframed). We needed advice as to how best to preserve his artistic legacy, but had no clue where to start. When we found Jennifer’s website, we were instantly struck by the fact that she offers guidance to photographers with regards to ensuring their legacy and creative production. After reading the testimonials, and based on our initial contact, we were pretty sure she could help us. After we provided the information she requested and sent examples of the work, we talked to her by phone. It was clear that she had done a lot of preparatory work and scoped out a potential archive that would be a good fit for the type of work in the collection. She then helped us focus on a strategy. When we subsequently contacted that archive, they were extremely happy with what we were offering and glad to take the material. Our relative’s archive will be donated to them on our next visit. Jennifer clearly understood the issue facing us, confirmed that the materials should be preserved and helped us find an appropriate archive for them. She more than exceeded our expectations.

{I came to Jennifer with a handful of items from my mother in-law’s estate, including art, ceramics, and more.  I had zero knowledge of any of it, and zero clue of how to even begin the research.  I sent off approximately five emails to various appraisers, made lots of phone calls, and was always met with the same answer—“This is not my specialty.”  Then I received a call from Jennifer and, wow, did she exceed my expectations.  The ironic thing is that the items I was inquiring about are not her specialty either.  However, she was able to give me a boatload of information on places that I could visit, websites to search, and people that I could call.  I would highly recommend that she be your first call.  She is very quick on her feet, thinks outside the box, and able to articulate her points and thoughts clearly.  She comes across as very well educated, well spoken, and a true professional.

{I just wanted to thank you for a great presentation. For someone just getting to know the art world, it was a nice background and overview. Looking forward to the day it’s all not such a mystery–or maybe that’s part of the fun? You’re a wonderful speaker–thanks again.

{I was extremely pleased with the work that Jennifer Stoots did in appraising several photographs that I recently gave to a museum. The research that she did was thorough and prompt and written up in a excellent and professional manner for IRS review.

{“When my father, a lifetime educator and prolific artist, passed away I was handed the burden of valuing his estate. The real property and tangible personal property were the easy items but putting a value in his remaining created artwork was something that I hadn’t even considered. I began my search for an art appraiser, found some dead ends and people that didn’t call back. Enter Jennifer Stoots. Our first telephone conversation was an excellent start, she picked up the phone! I explained my situation and she went straight to the important questions while also being friendly and energetic. Within a couple of weeks she had travelled to the location of the works and spent a full day documenting. She was very focused and left me with the impression of a seasoned professional. In a brief amount of time I had a full appraisal containing 36 pages of analyses, certifications, market values, curricula and example photos. I now had the legal documentation I needed to file a tax return without any doubts about the valuation of my father’s created works. Jennifer did a great service to my siblings and me by being a dedicated professional with a lot of experience. She was a bright spot in a dark time. I would highly recommend her.  —Executor of an Artist’s Estate (January 2019) I am a member of APAG (the American Photography Archives Group), and Jennifer was our guest lecturer at our August (2018) meeting at ICP. Many of the members are concerned about the future of our inventory and it was quite impressive to learn the many aspects of pricing and appraising a photographic image. At that moment I thought she was the person that I should invite to my studio to better discuss my inventory. I had questions…. and Jennifer certainly had answers. Our meeting extended for much longer than I ever expected—very generous on her part—and she surprised me with her profound knowledge about how one can go about pricing. She also opened my mind about my own inventory and the many ways to explore it, in ways I never dreamt of, by of the organizations and institutions she mentioned, and much more. No doubt in my mind I would refer Ms. Stoots for consultation. In fact I already did. Not only is she unique in her particular field but an impressive professional. I would say she was very generous with her knowledge and time.”

{We returned to find your splendid appraisal in the mail.We have thoroughly enjoyed reading it… and we are most excited to share it with our children. It will give them a much deeper understanding of the work. You clearly have a gift for getting to the important details of both the artists and the works.  To me, that is much more important than the monetary appraisal, and I know how disciplined you have to be to make all that information coherent and accurate. Bravo! My father passed away and left a variety of antiques and collectibles. Among them was a collection of black and white photographs. I had no idea where they came from or how he came to be in possession of them. I contacted Jennifer to assist me with identifying the photos and determining what to do with them. She gave me a multitude of ideas for liquidating my father’s collection and was very helpful with determining a value expectation for the material. I would without a doubt refer anyone with questions regarding collectible photographs to her. She is professional, knowledgeable and extremely thorough in her analysis. She’s also very organized and respectful of your collection, even if it may not be a “lottery ticket”. Your valuables have meaning to you and she takes that very serious.

{My father passed away and left a variety of antiques and collectibles. Among them was a collection of black and white photographs. I had no idea where they came from or how he came to be in possession of them. I contacted Jennifer to assist me with identifying the photos and determining what to do with them. Jennifer provided above and beyond the level of service that I expected. She gave me a multitude of ideas for liquidating my father’s collection. I would without a doubt refer anyone with questions regarding collectible photographs to Jennifer. Jennifer is very professional, very knowledgeable and extremely thorough in her analysis. She is very organized and respectful of your collection, even if it may not be a “lottery ticket”. Your valuables have meaning to you and she takes that very seriously.

{Jennifer came highly recommended by a beloved and trusted family member and artist. I reached out for a time-sensitive appraisal on behalf of a client who was contemplating a very large art purchase. Jennifer replied quickly and explained the entire process so clearly and kindly. We proceeded with the project knowing we were in expert hands. Jennifer’s knowledge, excellent communication and professionalism, palpable passion for the work, as well as the top-notch completed appraisals were a godsend for us. I also learned so much from her in such a short amount of time, making me more confident for future art purchases! Huge gratitude to you, Jennifer!

{As co-executor of my cousin’s estate I needed more information about what would be involved in a formal appraisal of her photo collection and how a valuation would be determined.  I had seen Jennifer speaking in a video on the ASPP website and was impressed with her knowledge and clear explanations of the highly specialized process of photography appraisals.  Not only did she call me promptly after receiving my email inquiry, but she was also prepared by having done some quick preliminary research on my cousin’s career.  She spent a long time on the phone with me discussing different approaches to valuation and what we would need to prepare for an appraisal. In terms of giving guidance she exceeded my expectations. […] Having spoken to a few appraisers prior to Jennifer, I was convinced that, had we needed an appraisal, we would have chosen her to work with us. Not only is she highly knowledgeable and experienced, but she has an approachable manner and explains things clearly and effectively.

{I was recently caught up in the wildfires that occurred in Southern Oregon in September of 2020. My situation was dire and I lost all of my possessions that it had taken a lifetime to acquire. Included in my collection were several photographs from known artists that had also been destroyed. Feeling overwhelmed, I contacted a friend of mine who’s grandmother was an internationally renowned photographer. He put me in touch with a premier photographic appraisal company based in NYC who had recently archived his grandmother’s work before being donated to a major university. When I contacted them they were unable to work with me based on scheduling issues, so they recommended Jennifer Stoots and I couldn’t be happier with how the situation worked out. Jennifer was extremely easy to work with and her passion and knowledge of subject is remarkable. She was able to perform with the very limited amount of documentation I could provide due to everything being lost in the fire. In addition, the galleries that I had purchased the works from had closed so there was no way to get documentation from that side. I was lucky enough to have a few digital photographs stored on the cloud that barely showed the works in question in the background. Using those digital photographs along with the information I provided about purchasing the pieces, Jennifer was able to prepare comprehensive appraisals for the lost artwork. I provided the insurance company with the appraisals from Jennifer and I’m happy to say that I was reimbursed for the full amount based on her findings. The pieces in question had all appreciated significantly which provided at least a small silver lining to my situation. I have learned a lot during this life changing event and will now store documentation very differently going forward. I will work with Jennifer again as she completely exceeded my expectations and I would recommend her to anybody in need of appraisal services. My hope going forward is to begin my collection again, but this time I plan on staying in touch with Jennifer to protect myself financially

{“Having lost much of my life’s professional photography work during the California wildfires in 2017, I needed a methodology for valuation of my digital and non-digital photo losses. I came in contact with Jennifer through her affiliation with the American Photographic Archives Group (APAG). […] Jennifer was able to provide me with the excellent resources I needed to document and verify the value of my destroyed work. She was able to inform me about differences between physical prints and intellectual property. Her vast knowledge on the subject of accurate appraisals was quite apparent when I spoke with her. She was also able to confirm and refer me to other qualified experts to help in areas of my claim that were outside her area of expertise. She helped me to understand current methods of evaluation as well as ways to separate archive categories so that they can be more accurately assessed. Jennifer’s skill is unmatched […] and I would be more than happy to recommend her services to my professional colleagues.”