The Role of Art & Antique Dealers An Added Value
The art and antiques trade takes place in a free market with large sums of money involved, therefore ethical issues often arise.
Nearly all of the dealers interviewed had come across serious breaches of ethics, most often by unregulated traders, including issues related to fakes, forgeries, false certification, authenticity issues, poor descriptions or illegally traded goods.
7.2 Dealer Associations
Dealer associations exist in most active art markets, with a variety of formats and aims. Many are set up as non-profit organisations designed to enhance the professionalism and ethical practices of members, and offer a range of legal, marketing and networking services. Many were formed as a result of the fragmented nature of the sector and were designed to give one voice to dealers when interacting with governments and policy makers.
Dealers see the three key roles of their associations as lobbying, professional accreditation and running fairs.
One of the key functions of dealer associations is lobbying government on areas of interest to dealers’ livelihoods. The associations provide one united voice to talk to governments and policy makers ensuring individual concerns are heard. The associations promote advocacy on specific issues in relation to dealers such as trade and fiscal regulations, as well as generally raising awareness and stimulating interest in the market.
A second key role identified by dealers was in providing a form of professional accreditation for members. Dealers felt that maintaining ethical standards and excluding unreliable traders by applying sanctions was one of the most important roles of the dealer associations. However, this was difficult to police on the Internet where unregulated fraudsters can “get away with murder” online. Issues relating to fraudulent or unethical practices online were commonly reported by dealers and described as “depressing”, bad for market as a whole, and hard to prevent or deter buyers who tend to be “always sucked in by the hopes of getting a bargain”.
Membership of many of the associations is often based on strict criteria including years in business, specialisation in an area or percentage of owned inventory. Some associations also stipulate that a group of peers must vote new members in. Once in an association, members are usually obliged to adhere to the association’s code of ethics. Membership of an association therefore acts as a stamp of approval for dealers among their peers, giving a level of confidence, prestige and familiarity with potential buyers. It also provides them with a ready-made ethical framework and code, and helps promote the highest standards of connoisseurship, scholarship and ethical practice within the profession.
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Historical & Future Perspectives
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