Here are general recommendations we give out to expedite the appraisal inspection process.
1. Decide which items you want to have evaluated.
In a room full, you may want just a few items appraised, or items that exceed a certain value or cost, like $250. Unsure which items might meet the dollar amount you choose? We can determine this during our appointment. We recommend tagging the items you’re sure you want appraised with a post-it note or painters tape so we can move more efficiently from item to item.
2. Unpack items that are in drawers, trunks, boxes, or cabinets that you wish to have examined. If possible, have each item that you would like to have appraised unpacked and on view. This ensures that you get the most out of our hourly rate and our time isn’t spent unloading a china cabinet, accessing hard to reach items, or unpacking boxes. If this is not feasible, please let us know ahead of time and we’ll be glad to bring an assistant or two.
3. Place things of like kind together, such as porcelain sets, silver or flatware, crystal, etc. Do you have a full china service with over 80 pieces, or a set of silver flatware? If matching items are in one location, it makes for quicker data entry.
4. Gather any receipts, sales slips, or earlier appraisals and place them near the appropriate items, if available. Any sale information on the items appraised is helpful for all types of appraisal reports. Depending on the appraisal, we may ask the approximate date or place of purchase.
5. Gather any provenance; historical information or family history that relate to the items being appraised, if available.
6. A well-lit area work area with adequate space, is necessary for the inspection. Please let us know if there is poor lighting, cramped space and/or lack of work surfaces as we need adequate space for examination, computers, scales, etc. so that we may perform our work.
