Helen Hall

Who are you? 

I was born in Jersey, Channel Islands in the UK and moved to New Jersey in 2015. I live in Upper Wyoming with my husband and two daughters.

My oldest daughter, Ruby, is a Freshman at the University of Edinburgh and my youngest daughter, Lola, is a Junior at High School.

I love running and eating scones at the Able Baker.

Tell us about your business!

I work from home but often travel between New York and Los Angeles. I worked at Christie’s Auction House for many years and left in 2008 to set up my own appraisal business specialising in music and film memorabilia. Most of my clients are the Estates of deceased musicians, actors or directors who need an appraisal of their stage clothing, guitars, props, scripts or other papers for Estate Tax purposes for IRS reporting so I work a lot with Attorneys and Business Managers but I also work with living musicians, actors, directors and film studios to appraise their collections and archives. Many of my clients are also private collectors who may have acquired a few pieces that need an insurance appraisal. 

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on the small island of Jersey (Old Jersey!) which is part of the UK but just off the coast of France.

How did you find yourself doing this work?

I worked for an antique dealer from the age of 15 on Saturdays and in school holidays and loved it. I then did a postgraduate course at Christie’s Education and wanted to get into the antique furniture department. I managed to get an internship at Christie’s in London in the Memorabilia department and spent my first week watching James Bond movies to try and match up the props consigned for auction. I was hooked!

What excites you the most about what you do?

A big part of what I do is research the objects I come across. I spend a lot of time researching guitars, stage costumes, jewelry etc to find photographs or video footage of the person playing or wearing them. This really affects the value of the objects I appraise but it is also the fun part of what I do.

What is your favorite thing you have worked on so far?

I have worked on some really cool objects from Jimi Hendrix guitars and Prince’s stage clothing to Indiana Jones props and Gone with the Wind scripts. But my favourite thing was a talisman necklace worn by John Lennon - I found photographs of him wearing it throughout 1967-1968 and it was the only thing he wore on the cover of his album with Yoko Ono, Two Virgins, where they both appear naked.

What 4 items are essential for you to do the work you do?

A tape measure, a loupe or magnifying glass, a blacklight and Google Sheets.

Share a piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you started your biz.

Take out Errors and Omissions Insurance and save yourself some sleepless nights. (not that I have had to make a claim on it yet!)

Share a challenge you faced and how you overcame it.

I was recently asked to submit a proposal for a project but as well as asking for the usual work samples, references and methodology,  the client asked for full Security and Compliance information, Data Standards, AMI etc etc, all sorts of things that I had never been asked for before and have very little knowledge of. It seemed overwhelming and I was tempted to say no but I asked a couple of friends to help me who work in those areas and it all came together. It was a good lesson in knowing that I can’t do everything by myself but also made me think outside the box and instigate policies for the business going forward.

What's the most unusual request or inquiry you've received from a customer?

If I can appraise a television through which they can hear John Lennon speaking to them from the grave. No joke.

Best biz book/podcast you’d recommend Podcast

How To Fail

A quote you live by

Don’t Complain, Don’t Explain