I’ve gotten two requests lately from people asking me to determine if their treasured heirlooms are worth anything. I’m not an appraiser, but I do know how to conduct research.
So, I agreed to research their items via Google and see what I came up with. If they were selling well on auction, retail or other sites, I’d recommend that the items be appraised by a reputable and certified appraiser. Since this does take time, I’ll only do it for friends.
The first request came from a woman whose aunt had dishes purchased during World War II in Japan. The niece sent me photos of a cup and saucer that included the makers mark on the bottom. I’d never associated Japan with dinnerware so I didn’t expect to find much. English manufacturers in particular are noted for quality dinnerware.
I found the cup and saucer selling for $9.99 on eBay and other sites, and I told her not to start spending that inheritance. I also sent her a link to a post I had done about elegant dinnerware that had come up at auction.
This week, I went to the home of a friend of a friend who has some pieces he thought might be worth a little something-something. I took along my auction buddy Janet who has developed an expertise in certain areas of her own. I took photos – along with notes – of a cedar chest, a secretary desk, some glassware and other items. I’ll Google them and then advise him to call in a certified appraiser based on what I find. Since there were no makers marks on most of the items, I warned him that I may not be able to find them.
Those two requests intersected with another idea that had lodged in my mind regarding appraisals. I was reading a recent newsletter published by Swann Auction Galleries in New York about a service it offered: Swann would send its experts out to organizations for an afternoon of appraisals as a fundraising event. The auction house would provide the appraisals free of charge to the organization, which in turn would charge people to have three items evaluated.
I had been to one of those appraisals about a year ago. For $5 each, I had three items appraised: a group of 25 or more original drawings by cartoonist Bo Brown, a Japanese painting of a winter outdoor scene and an old print of the Pennsylvania State House. The appraisers were from a major auction house in Philadelphia. As I waited, I heard the appraiser tell one couple ahead of me that their painting was worth about $30,000.
As for my pieces, the appraiser found Brown’s originals selling for about $250 each on the web (I already knew that because I had found the same information on my own). The State House print was actually a reproduction. He could not tell me the worth of the Japanese painting because that was not his area of expertise. He suggested that I bring it to the auction house (which I never did).
The appraisers did not try to solicit us – a large crowd showed up that day – by offering to sell our pieces. The process was pretty cut and dried. I recommend taking advantage of these free appraisals. One website, though, said don’t do it. The writer, an appraiser and consultant, indicated that these were more drive-bys than appraisals, and that you wouldn’t get an accurate accounting of the value of your piece. I, however, believe that this is a good way to get expert available to help you make up your mind about hiring an appraiser.
Appraising your collectibles or artwork or other valuable property, and making sure they are adequately insured, is something all collectors should do. Appraisals aren’t cheap, but they’re worth it. The cost of the appraisal will likely depend on the amount of work required, and always try to get an estimate of the cost up front.
For years, I bought African American art, hung it on my walls and enjoyed it. I kept telling myself that I should have it all appraised – the number of pieces were starting to add up – but I never took the time to do it. Finally, I did and learned that my pieces had increased in value and were worth much more than I expected. Now when I buy new pieces – always at auction – I have them appraised and added to the insurance list.
Here are some other things to consider:
- After getting your pieces appraised, check the company that has your homeowners policy about insuring your collectibles. Most insurance companies give you a discount for multiple policies.
- The Philadelphia Print Shop – which offers formal, email and ball-park appraisals – suggested on its website an alternative: Do your own research first by checking galleries and other sources online, and price guides and other books.
- The American Society of Appraisers, which has local chapters, including one in Philadelphia – is a good place to look for a certified appraiser. On the Philadelphia website, I read the section on members in the news to see whose names were mentioned, who were conducting training sessions and who was receiving awards for their work. Those are among the ones I’d check out further.
- Some auction houses will examine your pieces free of charge to make a cursory assessment, usually by appointment, or invite you to email an estimate request after answering a few questions. These houses also have experts who can do a formal appraisal for insurance purposes. Some accept walk-ins on certain days.
- Check out the websites of several auction houses near you. Go to one or two of their auctions to determine the staff’s trustworthiness (auctionzip.com can locate auctions in your area). Do a Google search of them. Find out if they have a free appraisal event coming up and take your item to it. If they do house visits for an initial free consultation, take them up on it. But don’t be pushed into going with them if you feel uncomfortable. It’s your decision.
- The Smithsonian American Art Museum website provides research tools to help you determine the value of your collectibles. And Fadedgiant Books has a database showing how much books are being sold for on eBay and Yahoo auctions.
