Nora Curl, photo courtesy Michel Delsol.

A ‘side-hustle’ is meant to supplement the earnings from one’s primary job, but what about those so lucrative that it brings in five or six-figures? With the majority of most low and mid-level art-world careers — think curators, auction house experts and gallery staff — being modestly compensated, we read with interest the story that one appraiser — Nora Curl — was bringing in an average of $10,000 a month, Antiques And The Arts Weekly wanted to know a bit more about what she did to earn such a sum.

When did JustAnswer launch?

JustAnswer was started in 2003 by chief executive officer Andy Kurtzig when his wife was pregnant with their first child and needed a way to get quick and expert answers from a qualified medical professional whenever questions arose. From there, the idea of a marketplace connecting people with problems to vetted, live professionals was born. Today, JustAnswer is the world’s largest platform connecting verified and vetted experts with people for online professional help.

Since then, what are some of the most popular categories of questions?

In addition to appraisals (art, antiques, collectibles), other popular categories on JustAnswer include health, law, finance/taxes, tech, pets, auto and home improvement/appliance repair.

What was your path to JustAnswer and how long have you worked there?

After living in Manhattan for nine fast-paced years working within various aspects of the International Art World arena, I had to move back to my hometown in rural Pennsylvania to take care of my mother. No longer in the city, I sold items online and worked long distance freelance gigs, including participating as a special guest of The Beijing World Art Museum, in China, for their Autumn 2012 exhibit of Contemporary American Realist and Figurative Painters. The day before my departure, I came across a job ad for an online, work-from-home art and antiques appraiser. Since I fit the criteria, I sent in a resume. Shortly after my return from China, I received an email from justanswer.com that I had been approved as an expert on their platform!

I have been answering questions, providing identification and online valuations in the antiques categories, on justanswer.com since October 2012, so I’m going into my 12th year with the site.

For readers who haven’t used JustAnswer, can you walk me through what the process is?

Once one has signed up on the justanswer.com platform, they can choose from a myriad of subject categories, if the subject of preference is an antique, collectible, vintage or fairly contemporary decorative object or fine art piece, the customer can ask for me personally by typing in “Hi Nora” “For Nora” or “@ Nora” at the beginning of the request within the Antiques, Appraisals or General categories.

Initially, a “Pearl” bot automated Q&A will begin to gather quick information from you about your item. The more details one provides, THE BETTER, especially in terms of receiving a live response in return from me. Pertinent information, such as type of object, signatures, maker names, dimensions etc, is important. The most ideal way for one to get the information they seek, whether it be what is it? age? who made it? and VALUE? is already to have photos taken and uploaded with their posting. Requests without the initial details can potentially go by the wayside.

When I have responded to your initial request, and after all information is gathered about the item, I then research and compose an answer for you within a relatively short amount of time. One can also opt for a live phone call session with me, which is an additional charge by the company.

And there you have it! Like Sherlock Holmes, and the famous quote, “By Jove, I’ve Got it,” you will learn about your item and the fair market value.

You can also go to www.appraiseantiques.com for a $9.99 online valuation done personally by me.

Can you tell our readers what your particular areas of expertise are?

My experience is long and varied as are my strong areas of expertise. I handle most all items from the Renaissance through Contemporary eras, in fine and decorative arts; meaning paintings, prints, sculptures, furniture, sterling and silverplated wares, lamps and lighting, glass, china, porcelain, studio art pottery, books, dolls, toys, textiles, jewelry, ephemera (paper items), vintage fashion and even more, from around the world.

I have a particular knack for deciphering challenging signatures on works of art, maker stamps on ceramics and signed objects of different mediums.

I do specialize in original American Illustration Art from the Golden Age to the 1990s. These would be paintings and drawings done by famous illustrators such as Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, Charles Dana Gibson, James Montgomery Flagg, Leroy Nieman and any artist whose works were featured on the covers of magazines and books or interior stories, such as Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s and The New Yorker, for example.

What I do not assess are postal stamps, coins (numismatics), paper money, musical instruments, Persian rugs, true Pre-Columbian artifacts, African Nations tribal objects, Beanie Babies, designer wristwatches and Disney VHS tapes.

This is a comparable example of an antique bentwood swinging suspended field cradle I assessed on JustAnswer. Courtesy Leland Little/WorthPoint.

Where did you go to school/learn to be an appraiser? Do you hold certain qualifications / certifications?

I am an Accredited Member of the International Society of Appraisers, or ISA AM, with an Undergraduate BA degree from Allegheny College in Meadville, Penn., and a postgraduate from Christie’s in London in Connoisseurship: Fine and Decorative Arts, Renaissance through Contemporary. I am USPAP qualified, meaning every two years I retake a course in Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices. As well, I am a member of the AOA, or Association of Online Appraisers. The ISA requires completing several courses in Core Appraisal Writing, Fine Art and Decorative Arts, and those have to be retaken every five years to maintain accreditation, as well as documenting a minimum of 700 hours of logged appraisal time.

I spent nine years in New York City working within the sphere of the International Art World, including auction, gallery, representing famous artists, working at art fairs such as Miami Basel, NYC Armory Show and San Diego Comic-Con, and for two major art magazines, Art Review and Fine Art Connoisseur.

What are some of the things you’ve been asked to appraise?

You name it, I’ve been asked to value it; from authentic paintings by listed artists, to a myriad of reproduction print images with varnished surfaces made to look like an original Van Gogh or Rembrandt, to amateur student and hobbyist paintings. Books from the Sixteenth to Twentieth Centuries, Georgian, Victorian and mid-Twentieth Century jewelry and furniture, French and German antique bisque head dolls and later Twentieth Century porcelain collector dolls, china sets, sterling silver and plated tea and flatware sets, stemware, porcelain figurines, vases and serving pieces to glass from Murano, Italy, and beyond. The list is truly endless, especially after almost 12 years and hundreds of thousands of items.

Is there a fun story about one or two of them you can share with our readers?

An appraiser helps identify and value items; what we do not provide is “provenance,” or history of past ownership. The current owner of the item provides provenance if known. I once had a customer with an antique bentwood field baby cradle. She insisted I tell her which member of her family slept in that cradle in the Nineteenth Century when it was first made. Sorry, Charlie, my crystal ball was broken that day.

I worked with a customer over a course of a couple years who inherited a Sixteenth Century castle in France; the treasures that had been stored in chests and “forgotten” rooms were endless and truly amazing pieces — original paintings, Eighteenth Century courtesan dresses and shoes, European porcelains and jewelry to name a few. My absolute favorite was a stunning, multi-gem, Eighteenth Century Giardinetti, or small garden of flowers ring, which depicted flowers in an intricate basket. Not many have survived intact and that one was the finest example of such that I have ever seen to date. A Giardenetti ring of that caliber is on my most wanted personal collection bucket list.

This is a photo of the ring I assessed for a JustAnswer customer who inherited a castle in France.

Are the values you provide a single figure or a range, like an auction estimate?

Online Valuations provided by me on justanswer.com reflect a monetary spread based on actual past recorded sales of comparables. The current market value range may help the client decide whether to purchase, sell, keep or give away the item in question.

However, when writing ISA/USPAP official appraisals, for fair market, estate tax, legal and donation purposes, an Accredited Appraiser, like myself, is required to provide one single numerical currency value based on the most common denominator of comparable recent past recorded sales. Whereas, an insurance replacement appraisal uses the most common retail asking price. ISA/USPAP official written appraisals are done, upon contract, through my site appraiseantiques.com; they are not offered on justanswer.com.

In doing your valuations, do you look to auction sales? Retail prices by dealers? Private sales? Online marketplaces like eBay or 1stDibs?

My primary go-to sites for establishing values are worthpoint.com and askart.com, both are paid subscription databases. I also cross reference my searches through transparent auction company sales records and various other online and personal resources. Completed listings on Ebay only go back 90 days, so that search is limited, as opposed to the aforementioned sites, which do go back for a number of years. Only past recorded sales are used for online valuations.

Re-sale platforms, like Ebay, 1stDibs Chairish, et al. and retail galleries are only referenced for identification of fine art and objects. Asking prices are not factored in to online valuations; they are solely used for Insurance Replacement Appraisals, which are written to strict ISA/USPAP guidelines set forth by the IRS. An Insurance Replacement “statement” made through an online valuation would not be accepted by a legitimate insurance company.

A customer had a request for a valuation of a Pruett Carter painting they inherited. I immediately recognized the name as being an American Illustrator, especially after handling so many of his works when I was with Illustration House Auctions and Gallery in New York City. This is a 1930s interior illustration example, in a limited palette, with the bells and whistles of pretty ladies and a handsome gentleman. The painting is now on consignment from the owner to Taraba Illustration Art gallery. Image courtesy Taraba Illustration Art.

Do your appraisals include examples of comparable items to support your valuations?

I personally make every attempt to accompany the majority of the online valuations provided by me on justanswer.com with screenshots of past recorded sales of comparables. This is not always the case from others on the platform; everyone has different levels of experience and credentials, and there are some who do not feel the need to add justifications and referrals with visual matches. I most certainly do, as it adds more credibility towards the customer experience and backs up the value range I give to the client.

Can you explain the popularity with JustAnswer?

Justanswer.com celebrated its 20th year anniversary in 2023. For more than two decades, millions of people have come to the site for help in a multitude of categories; all a testament in itself to why this user-friendly online help site is so popular. With the help of the right, qualified expert, justanswer.com is an excellent platform for gaining instant access to trusted professionals who are at the ready to provide the help needed. In the Antiques and Appraisals categories, it is especially helpful when you are dealing with an inherited estate, downsizing your home to relocate, working your side hustle or online sales job and need advice while out treasure hunting at shops and estate sales, or wanting to gain more insight on items in your home that have been acquired over time.

—Madelia Hickman Ring