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Looking to sell your Japanese prints or just want to know their value?
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SELL YOUR JAPANESE PRINTS
MEET OUR EXPERT
BILL STEIN
Bill has over 40 years of experience selling Japanese woodblock prints and regularly consults with collectors, institutions, appraisers and auction houses around the world, helping to identify and value their Japanese prints. He is a member of numerous dealers’ associations. Bill has addressed meetings of collectors and appraisers and contributed to “Behind Paper Walls”, a catalogue dedicated to the early works and portraits of Jun’ichiro Sekino. He and his wife Roberta founded Floating World Gallery and continue to collect as well as sell artwork.
RECORD RESULTS
We hold multiple auctions each year dedicated solely to Japanese woodblock prints and paintings. As one of the leading auction houses specializing in Japanese woodblock prints, our auctions hold world-records for dozens of artists and a consistent history of strong selling prices. Visit Floating World Gallery Auctions
WHY FLOATING WORLD?
Selling your Japanese prints? Look no further, Floating World Gallery is the world’s leading venue!
Flexibility
Consignments to other galleries often sit around endlessly getting stale or damaged. We will purchase your artwork outright and pay immediately. If you prefer letting the market set your price, you can consign to our auctions that attract international interest from the world’s top collectors and institutions, often setting world record prices.
Expertise
Our experts have over 60 years of combined experience and have dedicated their professional lives to Japanese prints and paintings. Whether you are an accidental owner, collector, curator, museum, auctioneer or appraiser – we are the experts’ other experts trust. We can identify your artwork, value it and when appropriate, provide access to the world’s best conservators.
Simplicity
Other auction houses lack our nuanced expertise and can stick you with costly fees for obscure services, even if your artwork fails to sell. We charge a simple commission on the hammer price and nothing else.
Access
We provide access to thousands of collectors and art enthusiasts on our mailing list actively searching for the artwork we are selling. We post our catalogues on multiple auction platforms, including Drouot, LiveAuctioneers, and a house platform, exposing your prints and paintings to millions more collectors. We offer private viewings in our Chicago gallery and also travel to Japan and Europe to give top connoisseurs and collectors a chance to view in person.
TESTIMONIAL
“Floating World Gallery and in particular Bill Stein provided an excellent experience for me in a world I was totally unfamiliar. The death of an amazing member of my family left me with some immediate expenses, but also some incredible art which needed to be liquidated. Through a referral I connected with Bill and from that point on the transaction and the education I gained was rewarding, enriching and seamless. The outcome benefitted us both and the friendship forged will endure.”
Ana R. Smythe
Colonel USMC(Ret)
“I have a very productive relationship with the staff at Floating World Gallery, and have developed a habit of consulting them first when the museum where I work plans to deaccession duplicate prints or those that do not help with exhibition, scholarship, artist research, or teaching. I had tried to use public auction houses in the past, but one of those actually charged the museum when their shipping, conservation and photography expenses were greater than the sales price of the print.”
Hollis Goodall
Curator, Japanese Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
“During our relationship of over ten years, Bill Stein has always been reliable, knowledgeable, honest and enjoyable to work with—not to mention profitable. It is a pleasure to have an expert for a friend.”
Jerrold and Leona Schecter
Time Magazine bureau chief in Tokyo (1964-1968) and Moscow (1968-1970); White House correspondent (1971-1973) and diplomatic editor (1973-1977). Mr. Schecter served on President Jimmy Carter’s White House staff as associate White House press secretary and Spokesman for the National Security Council (1977-1980).
“Integrity. Knowledge. Experience. Reputable. Reliable. Approachable. Access to global markets. Established relationships with museums and advance collectors.
Any one of these descriptors defines Floating World Gallery! Together, they demonstrate why Floating World Gallery has become a major source for studying and collecting Japanese prints.”
Daphne Lange Rosenweig
Author, professor, museum exhibition organizer, and appraiser, is a specialist in the field of Asian Art.
