Other articles by Danielle Arnet:

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Q We need a reputable Dali appraiser who can tell us the value of our Salvador Dali sculpture, "The Eye of Easter," made of Daum crystal. We are the first and only owners of this art, No. 104 of 150, purchased in 1970.

— Richard, Green Valley

A I see that you know your secondary-market lingo.

Being the primary owner indicates direct provenance, and that is good. Glass from the French firm Daum is a fine name to have. Indicating that you have literature — a magazine feature on Dali showing the sculpture — proves that you are aware of the significance of documentation and linkage.

Armed with a value, it is your intent to approach the Dali museum in Florida as well as other Dali collectors to, I assume, cut a deal. Your plan seems well-thought-out and logical.

But have you checked the market for Dali artworks lately? It just does not exist, except for spotty sales. And that's where the best-laid plans, such as yours, go awry. Tastes change, and the market fluctuates.

We get a good number of inquiries on Dali prints, etchings, lithos, etc. The story is the same for all. Bluntly, there are too many Dali fakes out there for buyers to feel confident about the market. No matter how authentic a piece you or other readers have, a buyer will be hard to find.

Another factor influencing resale is that, at present, there is no universally accepted Dali expert to validate legitimate pieces. In the big-money arena, experts base careers on one artist, even on one medium for that artist. As an example, if I had a Rembrandt etching and wanted it validated, the go-to person might be a German scholar who would charge thousands to render a written opinion. The process of getting to that level of expertise could take decades. But at sale time, the validation would pay off.

Highly speculative during the 1970s and early '80s, the Dali sculpture, engraving and artwork market was too hot to be totally legit. Agog about dollar signs on the horizon, speculators jumped in, and today most sit on 30-some-year-old "investments." Moral: Always buy what you like, because you may have to live with it for a long while!

You don't have to take just my word. Frank Hettig, director of modern, contemporary and Latin American art sales for Bonhams & Butterfields, is based in the California auction houses of the firm. On Dali, he told us, "at the moment, there is not much interest."

Art Fact, www.artfact.com, a professional database that catalogs auction results, reports less than a handful of results on Dali glass sculptures by Daum during the past decade. Top dollar was $1,800.

Only one piece in the 1970 series has done well. Art Net, www.artnet.com, reports that "L'Anti Fleur," a Daum sculpture rendered in green fading into crystal glass, sold for $5,000 last month at Dargate Auction Galleries in Pennsylvania. Another, 85 in a series of 150, brought $8,873 at Sotheby's Olympia in England. Another version brought $2,869 in 2004. Smart collectors know that because molds and printing surfaces lose sharpness, early strikes in a series are more desirable.

What is down today may, given time, rise. Hettig thinks that Dali values will rise once skeptical buyers gain confidence in the market. "Tastes change," he told us.

Save that paperwork, because when the market for Dali and Daum shakes out and rebounds, you are ready. Your piece has not yet established a market, but the prices cited for "L'Anti" aren't shabby. If, as Hettig told us, cycles last from five to seven years, your wait may not be too long.

FYI: Both www.artnet.com and www.artfact.com are available to readers for a modest subscription fee. Check each site for figures.

Q How do I find the value on this framed piece? It's been in the family since the early 1800s.

— Pat, Lima, Ohio

A The hand-painted ceramic of a young woman holding a candle is artist-signed and well-done. The photos are not clear, but it appears to be a framed plate rather than a tile. The framing looks original to the piece.

I'd place it mid-1800s, from one of the many porcelain factories in Bavaria or Germany before it was unified. Such pieces retail from $450 to $1,500, depending on the size, condition and artistic quality.

● Send e-mail to smartcollector@comcast.net or write Danielle Arnet, c/o Tribune Media Services, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60611. Please include an address in your query. Photos cannot be returned.

Courtesy of Rago Arts