Are you the owner of many pieces of antiques? Do you love to collect old items? Consider getting an antique appraisal. An antique appraisal can actually come in handy for a number of reasons: for insurance purposes, estate settlement and even divorce settlement.
Antique Appraisal for Insurance Purposes
No antique enthusiast would want to have his antiques accorded less than its actual value. In applying for personal property insurance then, you should include a well-itemized and properly appraised list of all the antiques in your possession. This type of antique appraisal is only applicable if you are a homeowner. If you are renting, it would be wise to avail of a renters’ insurance that promises a good value for your antiques in cases of theft, fire, and other unfortunate circumstances.
Antique Appraisal for Estate Settlement
There have been several cases of family disagreements over the death of a relative who had been in possession of a valuable antique collection. In this situation where each and every person wouldn’t settle for an amount they deem less than what should be given them, an antique appraisal is very important.
Antique Appraisal for Divorce Settlements
Much like the parties involved in issues of estate settlement, the two people in the middle of a divorce each demand a rightful share of their property. So if you are in the middle of a divorce, for instance, getting an appraisal of your antique collection would not only make your accounts easier to read and distribute, it would also help rid of false expectations about how much your possessions are worth; or astound you at how high your properties could sell for.
How to Prepare for an Antique Appraisal
The basic step is to prepare a well-organized list of the items for appraisal. Take note of where the items are and make sure that their location can be accessed rather quickly. This makes it easier for the appraiser to do his job and it helps avoid any extra hours that, by the way, the appraiser will surely charge you.
Also, make sure that you clean your antiques beforehand. Be careful not to alter the surface of wooden or metallic items. It would be best actually to first consult the antique appraiser on what you plan to do with wooden or metallic pieces since you might be doing something that could lower the antique’s value.
It would be wise to gather all the details you have about your antique pieces. The appraiser will surely appreciate any documents, certificates, receipts, or articles about your antiques since this will make it easier for him to determine your collections’ value. Also, all these records can increase your antique’s price.
Antique appraisal is a serious transaction. As such, you are expected to give full disclosure about your antique pieces. All pieces, whether slightly damaged or merely has one small stone missing, should be completely shown to the antique appraiser. Even if you try to hide an antique piece’s flaws, the appraiser with the meticulous eye would surely find it. So it’s better to just stay on friendly terms with the appraiser and on excellent terms with your conscience.
