Thomas Reinshagen
Independent Advisory for Art and Luxury Assets
Discreet. Strategic. International. I advise on the sale and acquisition of significant works of art and luxury assets – with no auction mandate and no conflicting commissions. My only interest is the quality of your decision.
Former Senior Director at Sotheby’s Zurich · Spear’s 500 · Accredited with Swiss private banks
My services for art and luxury assets
Collection strategy and management
Building, inventory and succession: a collection with a clear line that holds its value – through to the next generation.
Valuation reports
Independent, provider-neutral valuation reports, recognised by banks, insurers and authorities. Art, watches, jewellery, classic cars, wine.
Private sales and acquisitions
Discreet sales without auction or publicity.
Acquisitions with off-market access. I assess, negotiate and settle – exclusively on your behalf.
Art lending and art leasing
Liquidity from the collection without selling it: art loans through specialised Swiss private banks, art leasing for representative spaces.
Valuing art and luxury assets
Collecting is more than ownership. Anyone who brings together art, watches or other luxury assets over the years builds not only value but also a story. My task is to take both levels seriously: to establish the financial value of a work reliably and to protect the personal line of your collection.
It is this combination of substance and meaning that produces collections that endure – financially and personally.
Art
Modern Art · Impressionism · Contemporary Art
Luxury watches
Jewellery
Classic cars
Wine collections
Collection strategy and management
A collection should hold its value, but it should also have a line – one that suits you.
I have been a collector myself for more than three decades – contemporary art, photography and watches. That practice shapes how I accompany other collectors: from the first strategic key work through building a coherent line to inventory, structuring and the handover to the next generation.
My mandates come from private collectors, family offices, foundations and lawyers who need an external collection officer – someone who understands the work and at the same time thinks through the financial, tax and legal consequences.
What such an ongoing mandate looks like in practice: concierge for art collectors.
Valuations of art and luxury assets
Knowing what a work is worth leads to better decisions when selling.
There is always a moment when you need to know what a work is really worth: inheritance, insurance, sale, structuring, tax. I prepare valuations in five core fields (art, luxury watches, jewellery, classic cars, wine collections) and, for special cases, draw on a network of recognised specialists for cross-checking.
As an independent art appraiser, my valuations are recognised by banks, insurers and tax authorities in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.
When do you need a reliable valuation?
- For tax purposes (inheritance, estate, gift and capital gains tax)
- When selling to private collectors, auction houses or galleries
- For the division of an estate within the family
- For insurance valuations (replacement value)
- For bank collateral and lending
If you need a valuation in one of these situations, it is best to speak to me directly.
Buy- and sell-side advisory for art and luxury assets
Buyers and sellers at the top of the market are rarely in a hurry – but often on the wrong platform.
Auction, private sale or gallery placement. Each has its strengths, its risks and its expected proceeds. Which one suits your work and your situation is the most important decision before any transaction.
On the buy side I secure off-market access, due diligence and a negotiation that represents your interests alone. On the sell side I guide you discreetly through valuation, choice of channel, timing and buyer network.
Write to me. I will respond within one working day – discreetly and without obligation.
Request advice
Briefly describe your situation – sale, acquisition, valuation, estate. We discuss everything else in person.
You can also reach me by
email or by phone at
+41 79 293 46 85.
Contact form
Art loans and art leasing
Liquidity comes from structure, not from selling. With the right structure, you keep the substance and gain room to manoeuvre.
If you want to release capital from your collection without selling a work, an art loan is the right route. I provide access to specialised Swiss private banks and negotiate terms on your behalf – not for the other side.
If you want to use works without acquiring them – for office or representative spaces, for instance – I also guide you through an art leasing model. In both cases it is about structure, discretion and a contract that fits your situation.
For lawyers, executors, private bankers and family offices
When art, watches or jewellery appear in an estate, a divorce or a wealth structure, someone has to establish the value reliably and stand behind it. I act as an external collection officer for your clients – neutral, documented, with no sales interest of my own.
Typical situations: inventory valuation in an estate · market value versus insurance value in a division of inheritance · liquidity needs from a collection · household dissolution · collection strategy for the next generation.
What you get: a valuation a notary can point to. A counterpart who does not poach your clients. And – when a sale is due – execution without the noise of an auction.
I have spent more than thirty years in the art and luxury market, many of them as Senior Director at Sotheby’s Zurich. I have seen how collections are built, how they are passed on and how they fall apart – rarely because of the market, mostly for lack of structure and sound advice.
Since going independent I have worked on one side of the table only: yours. No auction mandate, no commission from the other side. What I bring is market experience – and an understanding of collectors and works that no database provides.
I collect myself: contemporary art, photography, watches. That practice shapes how I accompany others – from the first key work to the handover to the next generation.
Press
Spear’s 500: Top Recommended Art Adviser 2025
NZZ am Sonntag Magazin: “Selbstbetrachtungen” – portrait (in German)
Thomas Reinshagen – adviser for art and luxury assets (in German)
Zolliker Zumiker Bote
The life of Thomas Reinshagen is as colourful as the art on the walls of his home in Zollikon.
“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”
Pablo Picasso
Contact:
Phone: +41 79 293 46 85
E-mail: reinshagen@thomasreinshagen.com