Most of us spend countless hours looking for those special pieces for our collections. However we tend to forget one of the most important parts of a collection. That is insuring our collections and choosing coverage that fits our needs. There are many options out there for insuring your antiques and collectibles. However getting the [...]
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After many requests about auction houses and which ones are the best in the United States, I have decided to do a series of articles reviewing auction houses. I will review many auction houses across the United States focusing on the following points.
Read MoreI deal with a lot of auction houses for both buying and selling antiques and collectibles. I get asked a lot of questions about reserves. In this article I will answer many of these questions. Auction Reserve Q & A Should I put a reserve on my items? This really depends on what you are [...]
Read MoreEstate sales can be fun and exciting. They are also a great way to make some extra money. Once you know how an estate sale works and what to do you will have no problem having one. Follow the guidelines in this article and you will have an enjoyable estate sale. What is an Estate [...]
Read MoreAs a Personal Property Appraiser I get asked many questions about antiques. In this article I have answered 7 of the most commonly asked questions. These questions come up at almost every appraisal I have done.  How old does an item have to be to be an antique? There is a great debate about how [...]
Read MoreWe have all heard the stories about someone finding a painting at an estate sale or flee market for 10 dollars then selling it at an auction for thousands. While I was working at an auction house in the Chicago area I would see this happen regularly. For example a lady bought a stein for [...]
Read MoreAs an antiques and collectibles appraiser I see many antique insurance claims. The most common mistake I see from collectors is that they assume their home owners insurance covers their antiques and/or collectibles. In this article I have talked about how to protect yourself from this common mistake. Most insurance companies in the United States [...]
Read MoreOver the years I have seen many antique insurance claims. A lot of the antique collectors face an antique disaster at some point in their life. These disasters can range from a broken dish to a loss of an entire antique collection. In this article I have gone over some steps on how to document [...]
Read MoreThere are a number of factors you must consider when determining the value of an antique or collectible. Looking an item up in a price guide or finding a comparable item is only the beginning.In this article I have listed some guide lines to use when valuing your antique or collectible. I will start with [...]
Read MoreOnline appraisal/valuation differs from traditional appraisals because of geographical distance and lack of direct physical inspection of the subject property. The inability to inspect creates assignment conditions that are restrictive. These restrictive conditions do not prevent doing a credible appraisal.
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