Condition is enormously important to the long enjoyment of your art. Condition issues often distract from the beauty and statement of the art and often detract from the enduring economic value of the work. They also sometimes worsen over time. Thus, it is important to understand the condition of the work you are buying.

We use the phrase “Excellent Condition” to describe works which are generally viewed as excellent. A work might be described as “Excellent Condition” if it has mild or moderate condition issues visible only under very close inspection or under raking light but more typically it encompasses work which has no damage whatsoever to the print surface or mild condition issues that are barely perceptible to the naked eye. In traditional print-grading, a work which we describe as “Excellent Condition” would typically be graded as 8 (“very fine”) or 9 (“excellent”). (It might also be graded 10 (“mint”), but we believe that few works can ever be given a 10 rating.)

Mild condition issues can include surface soiling, handling creases, buckling, stray ink, and adhesive residue or staining.

Moderate condition issues can include colors attenuated, light or age staining, skinning to the margins, losses to the sheet, trimmed margins, tears to the sheet, creases to the image, some specks of foxing, staining, previous restoration, and mat burns.