AboutDARWIN D. BEARLEY Expertise I am considered by many to be an expert on AMERICAN ANTIQUE QUILTS.
My real expertise lies with ANTIQUE OHIO AMISH QUILTS.
I can help with all aspects of identification, dating, repair and cleaning. I also buy, and broker antique quilts.
Experience Over the past 30 odd years, I have bought and sold ANTIQUE QUILTS for a living. I also have a personal collection of Antique Ohio Amish Quilts.
I have sold to the Smithsonian, the LA County Museum of Art, the movie "What Lies Beneath" starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer and to Catherine Denuuve.
My Antique Ohio Amish Quilt Collection has been exhibited at The Museum of Our American Heritage, The Akron Art Institute, The Canton Art Museum, Wright State University and The Quilt National in Cincinnati, Ohio. They have also been exhibited in Germany and France and recently at the Quilt Expo in Houston, Texas. Many of the quilts have been published in various books, magazines and calendars. One was even pictured in National Geographic Magazine.
Recently a book on my collection was published by Bernina Sewing Machine Co. of Zurich entitled, "Antique Ohio Amish Quilts, The Darwin D. Bearley Collection"
Question hello
last year I had two of my quilts appraised for insurance purposes. I know want to sell them what is the best method to do this? Thankyou, Paula
Answer Hi Paula,
That's a tough question to answer.
I've been in the business for 30 years and I'm still asking that questions.
First, let me point out that an insurance appraisal is the replacement value of the quilts in case you had to replace them. It is the retail value so to speak and not necessarily the price you can hope to get. At lease not easily.
To sell your quilts, you could contact dealers in your area and try to sell to them outright or perhaps consign them. Of course they have to make money so they need to buy them at a price where they can still sell them after their mark up.
If they take them on consignment, they usually can work on a smaller margin because they don't actually have their money tied up.
Another idea is to run a few ads in newspapers or trade journals. You'll no doubt get calls from dealers and collectors.
Still another way to sell is to try one of the online auctions, such as Ebay.
Regardless of which way you choose, it will cost you time and money.
My suggestion would be to find a dealer you can trust that specializes in quilts and consign them to him or her.
You can both agree on the price that you want and the price that the dealer will ask.
Be aware that the antique quilt isn't what it was a decade ago.
