The Full Story:
Mark Hollander
I began my career in 1970 having left the trying times of the late 60’s at Boston University. It was time to support myself with the knowledge gained from years of accompanying my father on weekend excursions to purchase antiques. My time spent at local shops on Route 6A and at public auction with Dad resulted in a keen interest in and knowledge of specialty glass and Americana. His involvement in museums such as Sandwich Glass Museum and Heritage Museum & Gardens presented me with a foundational discipline. Ultimately, I opened a small retail antique shop which specialized in Early American Glass and began to present American Decorative Arts.
My business soon expanded as I was fortunate enough to be in a locale of strong antique dealers, historians, and field experts. From the onset, I was exposed to contacts established in my schooling at Milton Academy and Boston University. This introduced me to some of the earliest families and their Estates in New England. Thus, my work began to require a broader knowledge of the general field of “antiques.” My mentors and my library were critical resources to identify items, their origins, and their ultimate value.
In 1980, I was approached by a Boston law firm to perform a Probate appraisal for a domestic situation. I was schooled as an “expert witness” before facing the esteemed Attorney James St. Claire of Watergate fame. That was the epitome of “trial by fire.” I spent the next eight years providing probate appraisals for similar situations and serving as an “expert witness” in multiple cases. Hence, my appraisals have been accepted in legal procedures for the last forty years, and they continue to be an important dimension of my business.
As my Curriculum Vitae states, I have worked with multiple New England Museums where I placed items in permanent collections or on loan. I have also sold items to museums and collectors on behalf of my clients. I have established world record prices in the specific fields of Decorative Arts, Decoys, Clocks, Paintings, and Glass. This most notably includes the sale of a mid-18th Century American primitive portrait at Keno Auctions that fetched over one million dollars in 2010.
I continue to search for “treasures” waiting to be unearthed and documented. I look forward to learning of your discoveries.
Mr. Hollander began his career in 1969. Over the last nearly 6 decades, he has distinguished himself as one of the premier experts in identification and valuation of fine and decorative arts. Through meticulous research and drawing on a variety of industry contacts, he has also brought some of the most significant individual pieces and collections to market where many commanded world record prices.
As a sole proprietor with nearly 60 years of experience, Mr. Hollander has a unique ability to maximize value for his clients. Be it performing a detailed appraisal for probate purposes, uncovering the amazing history of family heirlooms, or assisting in the sale of items, his attention to detail has earned him many lifelong clients.
"...for so many years, I have had the unique pleasure of meeting wonderful people and being invited into their homes to share my expertise and opinions and help them uncover their treasures often hiding in plain sight. I have come by my clients through sources as diverse as they are-- from casual conversations over lunch to prestigious law firm referrals, no two clients are the same. I truly love the thrill of discovering historic artifacts and unique pieces, and revealing their long hidden stories."