For private collectors

Everything a private collector needs to catalogue, prove and protect a collection.

A single hub for the questions collectors actually ask — how to number and photograph works, what proves provenance, when to revalue, how to store and hang, and what to leave behind for an estate. Every guide links back to the workspace where the record lives.

Where the record lives

An illustrative view of the collector workspace: works, valuations, locations and documents.

Product preview

See inside the workspace

This is the same workspace you get after signing up, shown with sample data. Click through the tabs.

aurelian · command central

Galleries & Dealers

Overview

Inventory value
€412,800
63 works catalogued
Client lifetime value
€284,050
41 active collectors
Open consignments
12
2 expiring this month
Needs attention
  • Consignment for “Sea Wall III” expires in 9 days
  • Invoice #2026-041 unpaid for 32 days
  • Follow-up due: L. Bertrand (tomorrow)
Recent activity
  • Viewing room opened by Fondation Mercier
  • “Marble Fragment” marked sold — €11,000
  • Condition report attached to AUR-0142

Preview rendered with sample data. Your workspace adapts to the practice you select at sign-up — gallery, artist, collector, advisor, jeweller or watch dealer.

Collector questions

How should a private collector catalogue a collection?

Give every work a permanent inventory number, then record artist, title, year, medium, dimensions, edition, acquisition source, date and price, current location, condition and images. Add provenance and exhibition history as you find documentation. Do the highest-value works first — a partial catalogue that exists beats a complete one you never start.

What documents prove provenance?

Invoices and receipts, auction lot records, gallery certificates, artist certificates of authenticity, export and customs paperwork, insurance schedules, conservation reports, exhibition catalogues and published literature references. Scan each one and attach it to the work's record rather than storing it in a separate folder.

How often should a collection be revalued?

Insurers commonly expect a review every three to five years, and sooner for artists whose market has moved sharply. Record each valuation with its date, amount, currency and valuer so you keep the history rather than overwriting a single number.

Is a spreadsheet enough for a private collection?

A spreadsheet works until you need images, documents, multiple locations, valuation history and a provenance chain against each work. At that point you are maintaining several files that disagree with each other. A structured collection record keeps one version and exports back to CSV whenever you want it.

What should a collector leave for an estate or heirs?

A current inventory with locations and inventory numbers, images of each work, acquisition and valuation records, provenance documentation, insurance schedules, and a note of who to contact — advisor, insurer, conservator, shipper. The point is that someone who has never handled the collection can pick it up.

Catalogue it once. Keep it for the life of the collection.

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