Service Package: Collection Registry
Collections Registry
Museum-standard documentation for private collections.
Fine art, decorative arts, antiques, jewelry, wine, memorabilia. If your collection has been assembled with care, it deserves to be documented with the same.
Why collections require a different methodology
A household inventory accounts for contents. A collections registry accounts for objects, and the distinction matters considerably. A painting is not a piece of furniture. A case of 1996 Pétrus is not a kitchen appliance. A Victorian silver service with documented provenance is not comparable to flatware purchased at retail.
Object-level documentation requires condition assessment, provenance tracking, medium and dimension notation, and cross-referencing with existing appraisal records, along with photography that meets institutional standards. It also requires an understanding of how insurers, auction houses, estate attorneys, and tax advisors will use the record and what they will need from it.
Held Advisory Group brings that knowledge from over twenty years of institutional collections management experience across fine art, decorative arts, antiques, and specialty categories, applied to the context of private households.
Categories we work with
We document collections across the following categories.
Paintings, works on paper, photography, sculpture, and mixed media. Documentation includes artist, title, date, medium, dimensions, condition notes, provenance, and exhibition or publication history where available.
Furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, textiles, and objects. Documentation follows object-level cataloguing standards with period, maker, material, and condition notation.
Fine and estate jewelry, watches, and gemstone holdings. Documentation coordinates with gemological appraisal records and insurance schedules.
Cellar inventories documented by producer, vintage, appellation, format, quantity, and storage condition, cross-referenced with acquisition records and current valuation.
Sports, entertainment, historical, and personal memorabilia, with authentication documentation, provenance research, and condition assessment.
Most private collections span more than one category. We manage the full scope as a single, integrated engagement rather than treating each category in isolation.
How a Collections Registry engagement works
Every engagement begins with a private consultation to assess the nature, volume, and current documentation state of your collection. Scope, timeline, and fee are established at this stage.
We conduct an on-site documentation session for each category, working systematically through the collection to capture every relevant field at the object level.
All objects are photographed to institutional standards, including detail shots, condition documentation, and reference images formatted for insurance, appraisal, and archival use.
Where acquisition records, prior appraisals, auction catalogues, or certificates of authenticity exist, we integrate them into the registry. Where gaps exist, we note them and recommend appropriate next steps.
The completed registry is delivered in a structured, encrypted digital format organized by category, cross-referenced, and formatted for use by your insurer, estate attorney, or appraiser, with ownership transferring to you at engagement close.
Is Collections Registry the right engagement?
Collections Registry is appropriate for households whose holdings in art, antiques, jewelry, wine, or memorabilia represent a meaningful portion of net worth, and whose current documentation is incomplete, inconsistent, or nonexistent.
It is also frequently the right engagement for households in the process of:
- Updating or restructuring insurance coverage for high-value collections
- Estate planning or intergenerational wealth continuity
- Acquiring a new property that will house an existing collection
- Settlement or division of a shared collection
- Preparing a collection for potential sale, consignment, or donation
Art advisors, estate attorneys, private bankers, and specialty insurance brokers regularly refer clients to us for this engagement.
Pricing and availability
Collections Registry engagements are quoted individually, with scope, timeline, and fee determined in a private consultation based on the volume and nature of your collection. There is no standard rate, because no two collections are the same.
Request a Collections Consultation