Questions we
get every week

Both exist. Anything in the VCA Shop is priced and can be bought outright — decks, books, objects, some editions. Works in the collection are sold by enquiry, because half the conversation is about condition, framing and freight, and because on works above roughly £10,000 we have identity checks to run before money moves.

Where a work is consigned by a private collector the price is theirs to disclose, not ours. Ask and we will quote in writing the same day.

On our own stock, sometimes, and more so if you are buying two things. On consigned work we are the agent, so any offer goes to the owner. We will always tell you which situation you are in.

Yes, and we would prefer it. Come to the gallery by appointment, or we will send a full condition report, raking‑light images, and a video of the work off the wall and out of the frame if you want it.

Bank transfer for works. Card or transfer for the shop. We do not take cash above £8,000 and we do not take cryptocurrency.

On transactions of €10,000 or more, and on anything that looks unusual, UK regulations require us to verify who you are and where the funds come from — photo ID, proof of address, and a statement or letter evidencing source of funds. It is dull, it is not personal, and it is not optional for us.

Constantly. Roughly half of what leaves the gallery goes abroad. Import duty and local taxes are yours; export licensing, when needed, is ours to arrange.

Yes — interest‑free over three to six months on works above £5,000, and longer terms through our finance partner. Details on the art finance page.

Yes. It is the only reason to have a dealer.

No, but it helps. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 10 to 6, and much of the collection lives in the racks downstairs. Tell us what you want to see and it will be out and lit when you arrive.

Within London, yes, for works above £15,000 — we will bring two or three things to your wall, on approval, for a couple of days. Outside London we will arrange it with a shipper at cost.

We close the gallery for private appointments most weeks. No charge and no expectation.

A proper one, on a call, with the work in front of the camera and the lights moved for you. Not a slideshow.

Send images, dimensions and whatever paperwork you have through the consignment form. We reply within two working days with a view on value, route and timing — private sale, our own purchase, or auction if that genuinely serves you better.

Between 10% and 20% on private sale depending on value and how much work the sale needs. Agreed in writing before anything is listed, with no marketing charges bolted on afterwards.

Often, if it is something we can place. An outright offer is lower than a private sale result but immediate and certain, and we will show you both numbers so you can choose.

Not for a market opinion on something you might sell. Formal written valuations for insurance, probate or division of assets are charged at £350 for the first work and £120 thereafter.

Editions and works on paper travel flat in a museum‑grade board sandwich inside a double‑wall carton. Canvases and framed work travel in a made‑to‑measure crate. Nothing goes out in a tube.

London, two to four working days. UK mainland, three to five. Europe, five to ten. Rest of world, ten to twenty, longer if an export licence is in play. Framing adds ten to fifteen working days.

Yes, through the same framer we have used for years. Museum glass or acrylic, conservation mounts, hardwood or aluminium. We will send options and prices for your work specifically rather than a menu.

Fully, at the price you paid, door to door, on every shipment. You do not need to arrange anything.

Photograph it before you unpack further and call us. We handle the claim and the conservation, and if it cannot be made right we refund. This has happened twice in seven years and both were resolved inside a month.