Thomas Reinshagen

DE/EN

Collection strategy and management

Vendor-neutral collection guidance in Zurich, from inventory through valuation cycles to succession planning.

Andy Warhol, Marilyn silkscreens – collection strategy for art

“A collection follows a line, not a list. It grows with the collector, not towards the collector.”

Thomas Reinshagen, art adviser in Switzerland

When strategic collection guidance really makes sense

Collections usually emerge from personal enthusiasm, not from a plan. Nothing wrong with that. It becomes difficult when the collection grows, values shift, new life situations arise, or the next generation becomes involved. These situations typically trigger the wish for structure:

You are building a new collection and want to follow a line from the start, instead of finding out later that the works do not belong together.
An existing collection has grown, and you slowly lose the overview: where is what, what is it worth today, what is insured, what is not.
You have inherited a collection and face the question of whether to keep, extend, document or partially dissolve it.
A succession is approaching: to children, to a foundation, into a holding. The works should be passed on without breaks in ownership, insurance or tax.
Insurance or tax events force a formal value assessment. You want to use the occasion to also set a strategy for the next years.
You integrate art into a wealth balance sheet, perhaps in a family office context. The collection should be tracked as its own asset class, with reporting that meets family office standards.
You want clarity without an event. Sometimes the wish to know where you stand and what the next ten years mean is enough.

What collection guidance from me actually means

Collection guidance is not a single service, but a combination of several modules. Which ones you need depends on your situation. I combine exactly the modules that fit you.

Strategy development

A line gives a collection substance. Together we define what your collection stands for: which artists, which periods, which qualities. What fits your personal story and your long-term wealth picture. What deliberately does not. A clear collection strategy makes each subsequent acquisition easier and each valuation more robust.

Inventory and documentation

Work by work: description, photographs, provenance, location, insurance status, value development. Building a complete collection inventory in a form that banks, insurers, tax authorities and later heirs can all read. On request, in a secured digital form accessible only to you.

Value care and valuation cycles

Values change. Artists come, artists go, market phases shift. I take care of regularly updating the valuation reports for your collection, typically every three to five years, or whenever market shifts, insurance events or a possible sale make it necessary.

Insurance and storage

Insurance sums that are too high or too low either cost you money or create risk. I review your insurance policies against the current valuation, coordinate the switch to specialist insurers where needed, and assess storage, climate, security and transport.

Tax and legal structuring

In cooperation with your tax and legal advisers: collection in a holding, foundation or other structure, treatment in the event of relocation, inheritance or gifts. I provide the value assessments and collection documentation that your advisers need for structuring.

Succession and transfer

Passing on a collection means more than transferring ownership. It means handing over a story without cutting it off. Together we develop a plan: which part is transferred when and how, whether heirs should continue or sell, what a foundation could look like, what to consider in the family context.

Which objects and collection categories I work with

I offer specialised valuation and consulting services in the following five core areas:

Art

Paintings, sculptures, photography, contemporary works, antiques

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Art

Luxury watches

Brand-name watches, collector’s editions, vintage pieces

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Luxury watches

Jewellery and gemstones

Designer and couture jewellery, signed pieces, loose stones

Jewellery and gemstones

Classic cars

Historic vehicles, concours quality, collector’s lots

Classic cars

Wine collections

Premium wines, en primeur stocks, private collections

Wine collections

In practice, most collections I guide are hybrid holdings across several of these categories. Exactly these mixed collections benefit most from a unified strategy, because the risk of breaks between insurer, tax authority and heirs is greatest here.

How the engagement runs

Most mandates begin with a focused step (perhaps inventory or valuation update) and develop into ongoing guidance over time. On request, I work only once and hand the documentation over to your internal advisers for further maintenance.

Confidential first conversation

We talk about the history of the collection, its current state and the aims of the guidance. Free of charge, no obligation.

➝ 30 to 60 minutes.

Mandate definition and inventory intake

In writing and clearly defined: which modules to implement, in which time frame. Inspection of the collection in person or based on existing documentation. ➝ 1 to 4 weeks.

Strategy draft

First strategy draft for joint discussion. This is where the line, focus areas and structure of the collection are decided. ➝ 2 to 4 weeks.

Implementation

Inventory, valuation reports, insurance adjustment, documentation, structuring recommendations. ➝ Step by step, depending on the mandate.

Continuing engagement

On request: annual collection review, value updates, support with purchases and sales, updates when things change. ➝ Ongoing

Get in touch

Who this guidance is for

Private collectors with grown or growing collections who need clarity, structure and a long-term plan.
Family offices and multi-family offices that integrate art as a distinct asset class in their wealth balance sheet and reporting.
Foundations whose collections need inventories, valuation cycles and succession processes.
Groups of heirs who need to structure or fairly divide an inherited collection together.
Private clients in wealth succession who want to pass on a collection to the next generation or transfer it into a foundation.
Lawyers and trustees who need an external collection lead for their clients.

Collage: collectors viewing a modern painting and three classic Porsches

Why clients work with me

Over 30 years of market experience in the art and luxury goods business.
Former Senior Director at Sotheby’s Zurich.
Accredited adviser to leading Swiss private banks. Valuations and collection documentation are recognised by tax authorities, insurers and financial institutions.
Vendor-neutral. I have nothing to sell you. My fee comes from you, not from galleries, auction houses or insurers.
My own collector practice. I have collected myself for over 30 years across several categories (art, photography, watches). Building a collection is not only my work but my own experience.
Multilingual. German, English, French, Spanish.
Discretion as standard, not as a promise. Mandates are never cited as references, works are not shown, clients are not named.

About me

Frequently asked questions

What does collection guidance cost?

Depends on scope and duration. For single mandates (such as inventory creation or a strategy workshop) I work with fixed fees. For ongoing engagements there is an annual retainer, based on the size of the collection and the scope of advice required. In the first conversation you receive a binding fee range.

How large does a collection need to be for guidance to make sense?

There is no fixed lower limit, but an honest answer: below a collection value in the mid six figures, ongoing guidance rarely pays off. For individual mandates (for example strategy before a major acquisition) there is no threshold.

Can you also take over only a single module, such as inventory only?

Yes. Many mandates begin with a clearly defined assignment (inventory, valuation update, insurance check) and are later extended – or deliberately not.

Do you also work with existing insurers and tax advisers?

Yes, this is the rule, not the exception. You keep your existing advisers. I add the art- and collection-specific expertise and deliver documentation your advisers can work with.

How is a collection best passed on to the next generation?

There is no single right way. Three paths are common: transfer into a family holding with clear ownership, conversion into a foundation with defined purposes, or staggered gifts over several years for tax optimisation. We decide which path fits together with your tax and legal advisers.

How discreet is the engagement?

No mandate is cited as a reference, mentioned in marketing or confirmed to any third party. Collection inventories are produced in a form accessible only to you or to persons you authorise. For especially sensitive mandates, I work through trustee structures on request.

Ready for a conversation?

If you want to build, restructure or pass on your collection, write or call. The first conversation is confidential, free of charge and without obligation.

Direct contact:
+41 79 293 46 85
reinshagen@thomasreinshagen.com

Contact form

With over 30 years of experience in the art and luxury goods industry, I provide discreet, independent and market-based valuations for private clients, companies and institutions.

Services

Art and luxury valuation

Collection strategy and management

Buying and selling of luxury goods

Art lending and art leasing

Contact

Thomas Reinshagen
Art and Luxury Consulting
Dufourstrasse 26
CH‑8702 Zollikon
+41 79 293 46 85
reinshagen@thomasreinshagen.com