Greetings!

In case you missed the fine print, on February 2, 2004, the U.S. Congress received a 2.4-trillion dollar federal budget that included a proposal for new rules governing the proof of Fair Market Value of non-cash Charitable Contributions of less than $5,000 -- including art, used automobiles, clothing, and patents. The new policy would become effective on October 1, for the 2005 fiscal year, if approved by Congress. Some Charitable Organizations are concerned that the requirement for the appraising gifts with a Fair Market Value of less than $5,000 could discourage donations – and are appealing to Congress to not pass such new regulations. More information on this subject, is posted on the Internet at Philantropy.com.

The San Diego Chapter Program on February 17th will be of interest to all who love objects of beauty and decorative arts. While the subject of Fine Swords seems, at first glance, to be a “guy thing,” many of the skills, techniques and themes that were brought to bear in the manufacturing of ornate weapons, were also reflected in other decorative arts of the same period. Beyond that, however, attendees will develop an appreciation of why one cannot “judge the book by the cover” when it comes to antique swords and daggers. Don’t miss this “more than meets the eye” presentation!

I look forward to seeing you and sharing some observations and insights at our February 17th meeting!

On behalf of all of the San Diego Chapter members, I thank Margy Ashby for the administrative excellence, superb dedication, and high state of conscientiousness with which Margy served as Executive Administrator and Newsletter Editor for the last dozen years. Margy's office walls are covered with the many awards garnered by the San Diego Chapter -- not only for the Newsletter, but also for our Chapter Directory. Thank you Margy -- not only for being the outstanding professional -- but also for being the extraordinary person that you are!

With Best Regards,

Paul Golubovs, MBA, ASA

Margy Ashby

Margy Ashby, our Executive Administrator, is well known to our San Diego ASA Chapter members, and well loved. She is the SUPERSTAR of EA’s! For the past 12 years, Margy put together our Newsletter, sent out the meeting announcement & reminder, took reservations, fielded calls to our Chapter telephones, and handled our membership records.

Margy’s creative approach to the Newsletter and our Directories enabled the ASA San Diego Chapter to win the ASA International Annual Smaller Chapter Awards in those categories, for many years, many of the honors in consecutive years.

Along with her other happy client accounts, she recently won the prestigious, and very demanding, position of Executive Administrator of the Los Angeles ASA Chapter – the largest in the ASA Chapter community. As the San Diego ASA Chapter moves its Newsletter, Public Relations & Marketing activities to the new Chapter website, Margy is giving up many of her San Diego Chapter duties. The Chapter will miss her careful attention to our organization, but we will continue to enjoy our strong relationship as San Diego ASA is an important part of the ASA International Region 9 governing body, along with the LA Chapter, and we will continue to work with Margy to promote all Regional ASA activities.

Many of us, especially me, have developed great respect and affection for Margy, and come to consider Margy a friend and part of not only the ASA ‘family’, but our personal family. I recall with special emotion the morning of 9/11/01, when Margy was the first to call and share the fear and anxiety for our Washington, DC, ASA Executive Director Ted Baker, who was in an airplane heading for our San Diego monthly meeting that night. It was Margy’s calm voice and quick action that helped formulate a plan to handle the meeting cancellation that terrible morning. Margy has touched many of us over the years and she will always hold a warm spot in our hearts.

Georgie Stillman, ASA

A special report to San Diego Chapter by Pamela Bensoussan, ASA

ASA offers a wide variety of education seminars & conferences in all disciplines. Pamela, San Diego Chapter Treasurer, reports on the February Personal Property Seminar held in Pasadena on February 2 – 4, 2004.

Maurice Braun
(1877-1941 San Diego, CA)

The Arts & Crafts Movement had a profound influence on American culture in the early 20th century – architecture, furniture, lighting & home furnishings, textiles, pottery, fine art, silver, jewelry, metal work, book making and prints, to name a few areas of art & design. Personal Property appraisers with diverse specialties and interests were treated to lectures and hands-on sessions in wonderful homes & buildings reflecting the Arts & Crafts aesthetic. Here are some of the highlights.

An “insider” tour, lecture and breakfast at John Moran's Auction Gallery - a major national market place for California plain air painting.

Of special interest to those who appraise these paintings, the auction house now offers their entire sale catalog with photos on their website.

The Gamble House in Pasadena, California,
is an outstanding example of American Arts
and Crafts style architecture.

An entire afternoon at the rustic El Alisal, The Lummis Home Museum where we enjoyed to an in-depth lecture on arts and crafts silver. For more information on Charles Lummis and his hand-built home (crafted over 12 years between 1898 and 1910), visit the Southern California Historical Society's website.

A full day (including gourmet meals) was spent inside the fabulous Gamble House, built for the Proctor Gamble family by the nationally renowned architectural firm Green & Green. The Gamble House is the only Green & Green home in America that has all of its original furnishings in tact. Some terrific lectures were given on site by national experts in pottery, metal work and stain glass, with behind the scenes curatorial tours of the house and its contents. Go to the gamble house website for virtual tours of the house and visit their incredible book store online – an important resource for information on all aspects of the Arts and Crafts Movement in America.

Beauty, which is what is meant by art,
using the word in its widest sense, is,
I contend, no mere accident to human life,
which people can take or leave as they choose,
but a positive necessity of life.
- William Morris, The Beauty of Life, 1880

A two-hour bus tour of Arts and Crafts period homes in Pasadena, presented by an architectural historian, was followed by an afternoon at the great Huntington Museum. ASA members received an in-depth lecture/tour by the curator of "The Beauty of Life - William Morris and the Art of Design" an exhibition of almost 250 works, drawn from The Huntington’s extensive Arts and Crafts holdings, which include the largest collection of William Morris materials outside of the United Kingdom. For more info on the show, visit the website.

We also visited the Huntington Museum's Scott Gallery's permanent installation of works by the early 20th-century Southern California architects, Charles and Henry Greene, as well as other Arts and Crafts objects, organized in collaboration with the Gamble House (USC).

All in all this was a very informative seminar on a topic and geographical area that is so close to us in San Diego that we sometimes take it for granted. Thanks to Nancy Martin and the Los Angeles ASA Chapter for organizing this quality conference.

Thom Underwood, ASA

Thom was jetting around the world again. This time he was in the UK to study and take The Gemmological Association of Great Britain's Diploma in Gemmology exam. Success in completing this exam allows Thom to apply for the coveted FGA designation.

David Bowie, G.G., G.J. (GIA), and Thom Underwood, ASA

Thom & David attended the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, which attracts the best mineral, jewelry, lapidary and publication dealers from across the USA and beyond. This annual show also brings with it meetings and educational events presented by gemological professional organizations.

Pamela Bensoussan, ASA

Pamela attended the Personal Property Seminar held in Pasadena in February. Read about her interesting experiences in The Arts & Crafts Movement article above.

Gems & Jewelry

GJ205 - Gems and Jewelry Appraisal Theory, Methods and Application
Philadelphia - March 11-14
Las Vegas - May 29 - 31
Reno - June 6 – 8

Expert Testifying Skills & Report Writing
Kansas City - July 25
Seminar hosted by G & J Discipline. For more information, please contact David Bowie, 858-578-8840

President Paul Golubovs, ASA has appointed the following individuals to the San Diego Chapter Nominations Committee 2004 – 5. They will be working to prepare a slate of officers for the coming year. Please contact them with your suggestions for officers for the coming year.

George LeBaron, ASA
Thom Underwood, ASA
J.R. Westfall, ASA

SanDiegoAppraiser.org - Our San Diego ASA website is up and near completion. It is a “work in progress” and I hope that what you see today is just the first step towards an exciting new marketing tool for you and your potential clients. All designates were sent an email from Jan Giamanco and me confirming your email address. If you haven't replied, please do so ASAP. This lets us know that it's working properly and that the email address is correct.

Please go to the Locate an Appraiser page NOW and check to see that your contact information (phone number, listing, and website if you have one) is current/correct. If there are any corrections required, please contact Georgie.

The next step is to publicize the site to attorneys, museums, trust officers, financial advisors, and other potential clients, or client referrers. Jan will submit the site to search engines, but we still must market it to our local potential clients when they are looking for appraisers. You can help by submitting email addresses of your current legal or financial clients – such as lawyers, bankers, museum staff – to receive notice of our new website. You must get their permission to do this – the new anti-Spam laws require it, as does ordinary courtesy. You can do this via email, or in person, then send those email addresses to Georgie.

Adding the San Diego website address to your business letterhead and communications encourages use of the site by more potential clients.

The 2004 edition of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice is now available for review, copying, pasting, etc. at The Appraisal Foundation web site: http://www.appraisalfoundation.org/html/USPAP2004/toc.htm

Here's a great chance to load it into a Word file for future reference. Please let everyone in your office know. Many people haven't reviewed its changes yet, so be sure to have them look it over.

For details about the ASA San Diego Chapter, contact information for Chapter Officers or to locate/contact an ASA designated appraiser to meet your needs, please visit our web site at SanDiegoAppraisers.org.

This newsletter is published monthly via email as a service to the ASA Members and the community it serves. If you would like to receive this publication, please contact Georgie Stillman - 619-563-9000.

Newsletter Editor - Georgie Stillman, ASA
Newsletter Published by G-Force Services