Getting antiques appraised – 5 smart tips
If you are planning to get your antique appraised, consider the 5 tips below-
1.Hire somebody who’s specialized in antique appraising. Make sure the guy isn’t in the business of buying antiques alongside his or her antique appraising profession. Or to be on the safe side, make sure he or she isn’t one of those commission receiving agents of antique buyers. The reason for this precaution is understandable. If the appraiser is also a buyer, there are chances that your antique will be under-appraised.
2.Get started with someone who is a pure generalist. This makes more sense especially when you’ve got a large variety of antique items. Whenever necessary, generalist appraisers will be able to direct you to another specialist.
3.Be mentally prepared to pay what the work deserves. As a general rule, the payment is correlated with the amount of time taken for inspecting and researching a piece in particular. The appraiser should not charge a percentage of your antique’s value.
4.Be sure to inquire how the appraiser reached the value estimation. If the appraiser is qualified and honest, he or she will rely on multiple resources and is more likely to share those with you.
5.And finally, you have to consider multiple factors when it comes to online appraisal offers! You have to understand that traditional ways of appraisal involves face to face meeting and viewing of the antique piece. But when you are going for an online appraisal, the appraiser gives you a cost estimate without looking at the piece face to face.
So when the item is appraised in real world, the time taken might vary from what the appraiser tells you in the first place. But online appraisal saves you the trouble of paying physical visits to the appraiser’s office/chamber. So it all depends on what suits your unique situation and needs.