Peter Ashby (P.A.) Howard — Palm Beach · Louisville · Sun Valley.
Accredited Member,Appraisers Association of America
From Sotheby's to a national practice.
A native of Louisville, Peter Ashby (P.A.) Howard has over 25 years of experience in the fine arts, antiques, and collectibles fields. He is a graduate of Colgate University (BA) and New York University (MBA), and completed the American Arts Intensive Year at Sotheby's New York.
P.A. began his career in the arts at Sotheby's International and sothebys.com in 1998 as a Furniture and Decorative Arts Generalist — the foundation for a practice that has now spanned the auction, dealer, and independent appraisal worlds. Today, Howard House Art Appraisals is based in Palm Beach, Louisville, and Sun Valley, with a national practice that travels wherever the work requires.
Credentials and standards.
P.A. Howard is an Accredited Member, Appraisers Association of America, the leading professional association for personal-property appraisers in the United States. He is USPAP compliant through April 2027. Every report conforms to USPAP — the ethical and performance standard recognized by tax authorities, insurance carriers, and the courts — and he has conducted hundreds of appraisals ranging from single items to collections of thousands of objects.
Reports are grounded in three practices that don't cut corners: hands-on inspection wherever practical, primary-source comparables research drawn from auction records and dealer transactions, and clear, transparent citation so that any figure in the report can be traced back to the market evidence that supports it.
Areas of expertise.
P.A. brings deep, extensive experience across the categories most private collectors are actually holding:
- English, Continental and American Furniture and Decorative Arts — period through 20th century, including silver, ceramics, and objets d'art.
- 19th Century, Modern and Contemporary Art — paintings, works on paper, prints, and photographs.
- Sports Memorabilia — vintage and modern trading cards, signed pieces, and game-used items, along with programs, tickets, equipment, and other general memorabilia.
- Wine & Spirits — cellars, single bottles, and specialty collections.
Who P.A. works with.
Individuals scheduling a collection for insurance. Attorneys and executors settling estates. Families dividing property between heirs. Donors substantiating charitable gifts. Collectors deciding what to keep, sell, or reconsider. The practice is based in Palm Beach, Louisville, and Sun Valley, but travels anywhere the work requires — from single items in a townhouse to collections of thousands of objects in a country estate. The engagements vary; the standard does not.
"Every object has a value. My work is to find it — carefully, with evidence — and set it down in a form that holds up."
— P.A. HowardLet's talk.
If you have something you'd like appraised — or simply aren't sure whether a formal appraisal is what you need — a short note is enough to begin. I'll respond within two business days with next steps and a quote.