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Dear colleagues: Below is a summary of the comments we received regarding
the various online art auction databases. Many thanks to all who replied.
I 'm still working on the actual cost comparisons for our needs, but, from
these replies I know which one(s) we would like to be able to afford. We
made a comparative chart, but it wasn't consistent and was incomplete, so at
this point we're not offering to share it. If we get it done, we'll offer
it.
Summary of Comments made in May 2003 by ARLIS-L Participants
regarding opinions about various Online Art Auction Databases
Some notes:
Kaarin Van Ausdal at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh offered to share her
comparative analysis which was done Summer of 2002 before her library
decided to renew Artnet, and also purchase Artprice and ArtFact. Because
ARLIS cannot take attachments, Kaarin has offered to send a copy to other
librarians who request it. (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Music & Art
Department - 4400 Forbes Avenue - Pittsburgh, PA 15213)
Linda Duychak of the Kohler Art Library at the University of Wisconsin
offered this information of the very informative New York Public Library
site with the caveat that she's not sure how often it is revised [A couple
of the pages say 1996...]:
www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/artarc/auction/auctions.html
The Buyer's Premium, a surcharge added to the auction price, may or may not
be listed in the various databases. It is good to ascertain if the buyer's
premium is included or not when subscribing if it is not mentioned on the
site.
Some comments have been duplicated under different headings because the
comments offer the context of experience in which the comments are made.
The compilation of comments below was done with the invaluable help of our
volunteer Jana Chan, a 2002 graduate of UC Santa Barbara in art history and
economics.
Artfact.com
* Museum Library: I am currently ending our subscription to
ArtFact. While they are heavy in the decorative arts and were adding to
their fine arts database, it was VERY lacking in the fine arts for our
needs. Not to mention the curators hated using it, there were few ways to
narrow/limit the searching. They've also just upped their subscription fee
by $500 this year.
* Museum Library: We like Artnet ... it is pretty
comprehensive and has images which researchers really like ArtFact is nice
because it includes the entire text from the auction catalogs, but the hit
rate is iffy.
* Museum Library: There is another fine art auction price
database called ArtFAct located in Rhode Island. We had a demo here this
morning and the salesman said their database is the only one that includes
the decorative arts. Their indexing goes back to 1986 and includes the full
text of all the information that is contained in the on-line version of the
auction catalog. He said theirs is the only database to include that
informaion. Images are also included. They only sell their service by a
liscensing agreement which costs $2,000 per year
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: Sloppy.
Sometimes multiple listings for same sale.
* University Library: there's one other system you might want
to consider for comparison: Artfact: images and sales records. We have the
online version. Although it doesn't get used heavily, it is a nice database
and has been helpful.
* ARLIS/NY discussion Nov 2002: Artfact.com was mentioned as
an important resource since it is the only database that covers decorative
arts. A_______ mentioned that Artfact.com is good for decorative arts but is
weak in covering fine arts. Many participants noted the difficulty of
retrieving accurate results in Artfact.com due to the cumbersome search
interface.
Artnet.com
* Museum Library: I'm still a devoted fan of artnet.com. Not
cheap, but consistently broader coverage plus a high percentage of thumbnail
images [that can be enlarged]. We also use artfact.com, but its strength
remains dec arts, and artprice.com turns up information for us occasionally.
But again, the lead horse is artnet.com, at least for us.
* Museum library: Artnet is over priced and very limited.
* Public Library: We like Artnet...it is pretty comprehensive
and has images which researchers really like.
* Public Library: Our ultimate choices were to keep Artnet (at
$970/year based on our actual usage, which we had to negotiate once we had
some usage statistics), and to purchase [also] Artprice and ArtFact.
* ARLIS/NY discussion Nov 2002: t was agreed that Artnet.com
was the best for image access since many of the other databases do not
include an extensive amount of images. A_______ brought to everyone's
attention that Artnet.com offers monthly usage reports for your account and
now offers IP address restriction.
Museum Library: We had a free, trial subscription for 4? weeks to
Artprice but found it very difficult to maneuver about and awkward to use,
so decided against it. We're still looking at artnet but haven't had time
to make a final decision. I talked to a rep in Baltimore, and found we could
get a good price.
* Museum library: ...best for image access.... offers monthly
usage reports for your account and now offers IP address restriction
* Museum Library: Our contemporary art curators subscribe to
it just for that department. They get 8 or 9 searches a month for the price.
They like it, but can't share it with other departments because of the
search restrictions. We are thinking of expanding to include all museum
departments if the cost affordable.
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: Artnet data
goes back to 1989 but no further, and they do not produce a CDRom or hard
copies"
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: ...not
complete; can't depend on [Artprice and Artnet]; coverage sporatic sketchy.
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: Does not
have pictures.
Artprice.com
* Museum library: ...turns up information for us occasionally.
* Museum library: [compared to the preferred Art Sales Index
Online ] Artprice and Askart are also good, but you are billed for every
item you look at and have to renew monthly.
* Museum library: We had ADEC (the ArtPrice cd-rom version) a
few years ago, and again I found that many times an artist would not come
up, although they would appear in the printed Art Sales Index...
* Museum library: Artprice.com was discussed for its
comprehensive coverage. Its drawbacks were mentioned as being a clunky
interface and no images. It is noted of offering access to biographical and
signature information for select artists.
* Museum Library: We had a free, trial subscription for 4?
weeks to Artprice but found it very difficult to maneuver about and awkward
to use, so decided against it.
* Public library: I find artprice is a little harder to use
than artnet and it has no pictures, but includes more records and
biographical in information which is helpful.
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: Artprice
...logs even the smallest [sales] amounts
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: Artprice
has a CdRom but it is very difficult to use.
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: Too
expensive....can't depend on them; coverage sporatic sketchy
* ARLIS/NY discussion Nov 2002: Artprice.com was discussed for
its comprehensive coverage. Its drawbacks were mentioned as being a clunky
interface and no images. It is noted for
offering access to biographical and signature information for
selected artists.
Art-sales-index.com
* Museum Library: Art Sales Index Online is my favorite. The
subscription is about $800 per year. You renew once a year with unlimited
searching. Their data base goes back farther than the others and covers more
subject areas. ArtPrice and AskArt are also good but you are billed for
every item you look at and have to renew monthly. ArtNet is over priced and
very limited.
* Museum library: ...has the most comprehensive coverage going
back to the 1920's for Christie's and Sotheby's"
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: Excellent
coverage; no pictures; excludes lesser known because doesn't list paintings
under $500 (?). Price does not include buyer's premium (although chart is
available for the asking).
* The Publisher: we have been around since 1968 and our
database with 2.6 million entries has been available on line since 1983 and
on the internet since 2000. Our database does not have as many illustrations
due to copyright issues but we do have auction sale results back to the
1920's. Please see our web site for more information or ask other ARLIS
member who use us (partial list below) [36 of their customers listed]
"...the current web site needs a total overhaul, and this is being done at
present.... Having said that, the actual data on the web site is fine,
although again I will be reorganizing the software to allow much better
searching, sorting and displaying."
* The Publisher: Art Sales Index does not log lots of less
that £300 (unlike Artprice that logs even the smallest amounts) so these 2.3
million are substantial sales.... As far as prices are concerned, I am keen
to make the pricing structure as transparent, user friendly and reasonable
as possible, so any comments here would be most welcome.
* ARLIS/NY discussion Nov 2002: A_______also mentioned that
Art Sales Index has the most comprehensive coverage going back to the 1920s
for Christie's and Sotheby's.
Askart.com
* Museum Library: ...AskArt is ONLY American art and not
international in scope (they don't even include Mexico and only an
occasional Canadian artist if they did work in America). Their information
is also often wrong or lacking; however, it remains a good first source to
start. I also am not sure how far back they hold information. Knowing that
your collection and, probably, active collecting, is still as varied as
ours, I think they may be too restrictive.
* Museum Library: We had a 1 month trial membership. The two
who used it said (1 )I did make use of their service a few times, but found
it of limited assistance, partly due to so much of our collection being
European and in part because the site just seems "clunky." I know that is
not a technical term, but it is the best I can do. It feels like the
Reader's Digest of information. (2)I used it several times and found the
information quite helpful. Its focus on American art makes it less useful
for the museum. If we subscribe I'd use it.
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: Excellent
coverage; no pictures; excludes lesser known because doesn't list paintings
under $500. Price does not include buyer's premium
* Non-librarian but one who works with this data: only
American art
Heather Brodhead, Librarian
Fearing Library
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Fearing Library
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