Alasdair Nichol
Contact
Freeman’s | Hindman (Philadelphia)
Chairman, Director of Fine Art
Philadelphia, PA
Featured Appraisal
1937 Clyfford Still Oil Painting
Biography
Alasdair Nichol is a 40-year veteran of the fine art auction industry. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, he initially trained as a painter and printmaker at Grays School of Art, Aberdeen, before receiving an MA from Ulster University, Belfast. His work has been exhibited internationally.
Nichol started his auction career at Phillips in Edinburgh in 1984 before advancing to roles in Glasgow, London, and then head of fine art in New York. In 1999, he joined Freeman’s in Philadelphia, America’s oldest auction house, where he latterly served as chairman. He is currently deputy chairman and head of fine art at Freeman’s | Hindman.
Nichol is an active board member of the National Trust for Scotland USA and a former board member of the St. Andrews Society of New York, the oldest charitable organization in the state, for which he received the Mark Twain Award. A longtime member of the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), he received the President’s Award in 2024. Since 1998, he has been a regular appraiser on the popular PBS program ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is an antiques appraisal event and television production; we do not buy or sell objects, and conducting any business with an appraiser at the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW event is strictly forbidden.
If you decide to do business with an appraiser who has appeared on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, please keep in mind these tips before consigning or selling an item:
-Get more than one referral and check references
-Get valuations of your item from more than once source
-Compare options between different types of sellers, i.e., a dealer versus an auction house
-If you are considering consigning an object for auction, be sure to inquire how the item will be priced, the size of the fee, and the expected amount of time the process may take. Find out what will happen if it doesn't sell.
-Check the appraiser's professional associations (such as International Society of Appraisers, American Appraisers Association, National Auctioneers Association)
-Consult an attorney before signing a contract
-Whatever kind of transaction you decide to enter into, always get a detailed written receipt for your records
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW’s pool of experts are professionals with a wide range of experience in the antiques, fine art and collectibles community, and they are from a diverse background of auctioneers, dealers and appraisers.
All ROADSHOW appraisers are independent volunteers who donate their time and expertise to PBS and who pay their own expenses to be on the show. All business transactions are independent from ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
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