About appraisal values

The appraisal value you receive is based on an informed estimate of the item’s current retail value. In other words, it’s what you might expect to see the item priced at if you saw it at a show, shop, gallery or other retail outlet.

Please note that your on-line appraisal does not offer advice on how or where to sell an item.

But if you do make the decision to sell your item, you need to be aware that realizing the appraised value is subject to many variables. In some cases, you might realize more than the appraised value, but you may also get less. Here are some of the variables you may want to consider:

• Antique and art dealers can’t pay full retail value, since they carry the overhead costs associated with selling the item and running a business.
• Auction houses charge commissions and are subject to the effects of changing market trends (both good and bad), the kinds of buyers who attend a given sale, the ‘importance’ of the sale and the always exciting and unpredictable heat of the moment which can drive up prices beyond current retail values.
• Selling by consignment means the seller takes a percentage of the final sale amount.
• Trying to sell the item yourself is always an option, but it can also be challenging and time-consuming. Matching an item with the right buyer is easier said than done.