Could be a difference in long-term vs short-term outlook. In the short term, cutting it up and selling it in pieces increases the number of potential buyers, wh

Could be a difference in long-term vs short-term outlook. In the short term, cutting it up and selling it in pieces increases the number of potential buyers, which probably helps to fetch a higher price. But in the long term, you may be able to fetch a higher price by keeping it intact - especially if fully intact works become increasingly rare due to people cutting them up in pursuit of short term gains.