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American Folk Art Consignment
Sotheby's is your best resource for selling American folk art including sculptures, weathervanes, carved figures, paintings and needlework. Sotheby's Americana Week sales are held every January and September in New York, and often include dedicated sales of folk art. A 2014 sale of American Folk Art from the Collection of Ralph Esmerian totalled $12,955,943, setting a record for any sale of its kind.
When you are ready to part with a single piece of folk art or an entire collection, start the conversation with a Sotheby's Americana specialist by submitting information and photographs through our easy-to-use online form to get your free auction estimate. Our global team of specialists will review your submission and issue preliminary estimates for items that can be included in our sales.
Find Out the Value of Your Folk Art
Submit photos and information about your folk art and begin your complimentary estimate request.
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Folk Art Consigned with Sotheby's
Get Started with an Estimate
Get Started with an Estimate
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Frequently Asked Questions
- When is the best time to sell my American folk art?Sotheby's Americana sales are held every year in January to coincide with New York's Americana Week. During this time, collectors, academics, museum curators and new buyers come together in New York to attend the Winter Antique Show and purchase American antiques and folk art. Americana Week at Sotheby's also includes the folk art category and the important sales of carvings, whirligigs, rocking horses and other classic examples of highly collectible folk art.
- What are the best-selling types of American folk art?Because this category is quite diverse, many types of folk art and outsider art are always in demand. Sotheby’s top-selling folk art pieces in recent years include a rare garden elk sculpture by J.W. Fiske that sold for 225,000 USD, an 1880 oil painting by Berks County artist John Rasmussen that garnered 516,500 USD, and a carved, painted figure by Samuel Anderson Robb that commanded 550,000 USD.
- How do I ship my folk art to Sotheby's?Once our specialists have provided you with an auction estimate and a sale recommendation, they will be able to provide shipping quotes and logistical support. Sotheby’s works with the top white-glove shipping companies across the globe who will be able to safely package and transport even the most fragile carved figures or weathervanes.
More information on how to sell with Sotheby's
Sotheby’s is your best resource to buy and sell folk art such as an American carving, mirror, sculpture, painting, portrait, picture, watercolor, fraktur, carpet, rug, rocker, rocking chair, chair, chest, desk, shelf, andirons, table, box, basket, cradle, figurine, figure, cigarette statue, carousel horses and other animals, sconce, light, lamp, candlestick, quilt, coverlet, needlepoint, needlework, sampler, clock, plate, bowl, cup, mug, pitcher, stoneware, tray, weathervane, whirligig, rocking horse, sign, chalkware, outsider art and other folk art by artisans such as Bill Traylor, Samuel Anderson Robb, Charles I.D. Looff, J.W. Fiske, Ammi Phillips, John Rasmussen and J.L. Mott Ironworks.