Layaway Plans Inuit Art

Our studio is now accepting layaway plans.

Plans include: 30, 60, 90, 120, & 180 day payment terms with a 20% down payment.

We want our clients to have the chance to own our uniquely Canadian and exquisite Inuit carvings. It can be daunting to pay thousands of dollars in one payment for a piece you truly admire. With a layaway plan, this burden is lifted.

Our gallery is pleased to provide our layaway plan for our discerning customers. This service is free. We do not charge a service fee or interest.

With layaway, you make payments over time, but your purchase stays in the gallery until you finish the payment plan.

First steps
1. Carvings must be over $2000.00 to qualify
2. The down payment is 20% of the price (not including HST).
3. Payments can be made at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 days.
4. Interest free payments.
5. All prices are in Canadian dollars.

Final steps
1. Once full payment is received, carvings will be shipped to you. Our gallery will add a $45 fee on your final payment to cover the cost of shipping.

If you cannot complete the payment plan
1. Seldom is a client unable to fulfill the layaway plan but if this happens BOTH the deposit and all received payments are FORFEITED. (This is because the artist is given full payment for the carving once your payments begin). NO refunds will be given.
2. We do not give store credits on defaulted layaway payments. (Ie. if you default on your layaway all the received money is not refundable. We do not give store credits.
3. Credit exchanges are not permitted. ( ie. you cannot exchange the carving you have on layaway for a different carving).

We will work with the customer (within reason) to try to avoid loss of the money paid on the incomplete layaway plan. Each case will be dealt with on an individual basis but again NO refunds will be given if the layaway plan is not completed.

If you see a carving you would like to purchase on layaway, email us at info@inuitsculptures.com or call the studio at 1 800 457-8110.

We will invoice you for the deposit and first payment and place your beautiful piece on Reserve.

When you have completed the payments of the layaway plan, you will be the proud owner of a Masterpiece Inuit carving.
We look forward to hearing from you.

P.S. (Ever notice that many of our pieces say "Reserved"? This is why).

Why do layaway plans?

Answer: When building a collection (including our own), there are three rules I make sure to follow.

1) Buy what you Love. When you see something that "makes your heart skip a beat", then do not hesitate. Don't let those fears get in the way of you taking ownership of something you truly Love. Life is simply too short for that. Instead, be bold, buy it! You will be happy you did so. Don't overthink things. It's important to get the piece that "speaks" to you. There is a spirit inside each and every carving and they will call you if it is meant to be. If there is a piece that caught your attention and you can't stop thinking about it, than that is the one. Just go with your gut.

2) Buy the best piece you can afford. Masterpiece carvings that are more expensive are always a better investment. In a short time, they will appreciate tremendously in value. Masterpiece carvings circa 1980 that were priced at $200 - $1,000 are now selling for over $5,000 - $20,000 in auctions! This is in no way an exaggeration! 

If you look at it from an accounting perspective, by purchasing a higher end carving, you are actually getting it for free! I know that sounds absurd, but it is actually true! This is because your masterpiece carving will never depreciate. Instead it will appreciate. Its value will greatly increase over time, well beyond the inflation rate. By definition, this is what you would call an 'Asset'.

A strong comparable would be in the watch industry. When purchasing a timepiece, you have two choices. Your can either buy a disposable quartz watch for $100. It will tell the time and do what you need it to do in handsome fashion. However, the minute you walk out that store, your watch instantly becomes worthless. It will last a few years before you have to buy a new one. 

The second choice is to acquire a luxury Swiss made watch like a Rolex, Audemars Piguet, or Patek Phillippe. Sure, it will cost you $5,000- $20,000 up front, but unlike your cheap quartz, your beautiful timepiece will last forever, will dignify your status, look brilliant, tell time perfectly, feel good on your wrist, and most importantly, never depreciate.

Instead of it being a commodity (like the quartz), it is an asset. (generally speaking, luxury watches do not depreciate, they hold their value).  What is great about this, is you get to enjoy a high end watch, and at the same time, add to the "left" side of your balance sheet.

The exact same thing applies to high end Inuit art - only it is much much more lucrative. This is because masterpiece carvings not only hold their value (like watches), but they actually appreciate over time.

When we started our gallery 11 years ago (2006), we sold many masterpiece carvings to our clients. Had we decided to hold onto them instead, we would have had actually made more money based on their appreciated values today, versus what we originally sold them for. (Sometimes nowadays, I wonder why we even sell masterpiece carvings).

In the end, we would have made a much higher profit just by hanging onto them, vs. selling them. This is the reality of Inuit Art and masterpiece carvings. It will be one of the best investments you will ever make.

3) Try to utilize layaway plans. This is exactly why we are now offering these plans. So you can have a chance to afford an exquisite masterpiece. It is often hard to pay thousands of dollars up front for a piece you really admire. Obviously with a  payment plan, this burden is lifted and you hardly notice the payments.

Two years ago, we had a client who was a marine biologist for Environment Canada. She was responsible for inspecting the waters in Northern Canada. She had a great job, but like many, was on a fixed income.

During her northern travels, she was able to make a stop in Repulse Bay, NU. It was here that she met legendary master carver - Paul Maliki. Since then, it was always her dream to own one of his world famous bears. (Three years ago at the time, his bears sold for around $4,000-$5,000).

When she returned home, she found a beautiful Maliki bear on our website. It was unfortunately out of her price range. She contacted us and asked if we would allow her to make 6 payments. We accepted, and once her last payment was made, she was graced with a world class Inuit carving by one of Canada's top artists. It now serves her home in Quebec city as a centrepiece which she continues to cherish to this day.

(FYI - You cannot find a Paul Maliki bear like hers for under $15,000 today. In a few years from now, his similar sized bears will be priced at $30,000 - $40,000).

Having a layaway plan will help you realize your dream of purchasing a masterpiece carving. It will allow you to acquire a masterpiece from a big name carver that normally, you would not be able to afford.

We do not charge interest, and their are no holding fees. Why? Like I said, carvings do not depreciate, so we do not mind holding onto them. Also, we freeze the currency exchange for you. No matter what the CAD, USD, EUR, CNY are doing, we will freeze that rate at the price you originally committed to us for.

Check out our masterpiece carvings here. Let us know what you think, and if you would like to have a tailored plan, we will be happy to realize your dreams in owning a masterpiece carving.