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UPCOMING EVENTS
Antiques & Design in the Hamptons
August 15-16-17, 2008
The Country Living Fair
Date & Location Confirmed! September 12-13-14, 2008
The Modern Show
October 17-18-19, 2008
Gramercy Park Antiques Show
October 24-25-26, 2008
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Helaine Fendelman
Appraiser, Estate Advisor , Author of "Gold In Your Attic" and Country Living's column "What is it, what is it worth?"
212-228-6440
333 Group LLC.
Nicholas M. Dawes, Suzanne Perrault, David Rago, John Sollo
Appraisers, Estate Buyers
Toll-free: 866-724-6278
Robert Genicker
Appraiser, Tag Sale Professional - Estate Buyer
201-666-6816
Another Facet
Jewelry Appraisers
201-368-9433
Appraisers Association of America
for specialized appraisers
212-889-5404
Association of Online Appraisers
Website:www.aoaonline.org
Joan Lupardo
Tag Sale Professional
201-391-3857
Getting A Verbal Appraisal
A verbal appraisal is a fun, easy and inexpensive first step in finding out if a "treasure from your attic" has any real value. If it does, one should, as a second step, get a formal written appraisal by an expert in that particular field. Many items require research to even arrive at an approximate value. Be aware that many factors can affect an object's value - condition of the item itself, current market trends and provenance to name a few. There is no single "real value" which applies to all situations. Value can also depend on what you plan to do with the object - keep, sell, replace, insure, etc.
Any appraisal is the opinion of the appraiser. While no one person can know everything, general appraisers know "a little about a lot" and like to share their knowledge. Their opinions are based on many years of being in the antiques & collectibles business. They often have exceptional expertise in particular areas.
The antiques and collectibles market is constantly in flux and you never know when what once wasn't popular is suddenly hot. But be aware that the constant in collecting is that real antiques, unlike fads, are apt to hold their value longer and fluctuations in price are not as dramatic. As evidenced by TV's Roadshow, getting a verbal appraisal can be a fun, educational and occasionally profitable experience.
Call 212-255-0020 to find out at which shows verbal appraisals will be available.
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| When You Need To Sell |
A relative dies and you are left with disposing of the home contents or your life changes and you wish to sell your pottery, furniture, toys, costume jewelry or comic book collection. How do you go about it? How do you get the best price with the least amount of difficulty and effort?
The rules are slightly different for selling a whole household than for selling a collection or just a few good pieces but two rules are the same:
1. Know the value of the items or have a realistic idea of the price you wish to get. (i.e. get an appraisal if you haven’t already done so)
2. Selling all the items together and not letting the first buyer get just the best pieces will ultimately get you the best total price.
Selling The Contents of a Household
Almost always the best way to get the best price with the least effort is to use a tag sale professional. They will price everything in the house, bring in customers and conduct the sale. They get 15 to 30% of the total sales. But they do the work, place the ads and call in special buyers for unusual or special items. They even sell the contents of the closets, attic, garage and kitchen cabinets. Their fee is usually negotiable according to conditions, i.e. - are there any valuable antiques? Has the house been stripped by relatives? Is it clean, dirty, small or large? Ultimately they get the highest total for you, even after their fee, because they sell everything. You could and probably should have an appraisal first if unique valuables are involved. An appraisal offers peace of mind for one thing, especially if you are the executor of an estate and other beneficiaries are involved. Always interview approximately three tag sale companies. Choosing one is similar to choosing a doctor or decorator, you need to agree on procedures and there are variables on the conditions of the sale and your agreement with them which should be in writing.
Selling A Few Antiques or a Collection
Your first and easiest step is to offer the seller, if you bought most of the items from one dealer, the chance to buy the collection as a whole. Barring this route & even when selling back to the original seller, GET A LEGITIMATE APPRAISAL. An appraisal should always be step one in a sale. Actually any collection or valuable antique should have an appraisal even if you are not planning to sell, in case of theft, fire or the unforeseen need for quick sale. In the case of a unique collection, an appraiser can also guide the sale and offer professional advice on the marketing of a collection or special antique. AN APPRAISER NEVER BUYS! You should never have the same person appraise and buy.
Appraisers charge $50 to $150 per hour but can do a lot of work in little time. Like a good accountant they ultimately cost little, for their professional advice brings you the best return. The cheapest way is rarely best. (Conversely, the most expensive is not necessarily the best, many good appraisers charge only modest fees. You should check credentials and/or references to get the person who will serve you best.) Auction houses in NY like Sotheby’s or Christie’s charge appraisal fees also but will sometimes give sales estimates on unique single items, small collections or works of art at no charge, hoping you might sell through them. Other good ways to sell one or a few items or a special collection, if you know the value and what you expect to get, include the internet (ebay or goantiques) or classified ads in art and antiques publications or newsletters. This is often the way to get the most money for specific items but it can take time. The risk of how you will be paid for the item and the responsibility of safely shipping it is the downside.
At left are the names of some appraisers, estate buyers and tag sale professionals we recommend. Some appraise and buy and sell but they do not buy the estates they appraise. An appraiser is sometimes set up at Stella Shows appraising heirlooms verbally for $5 per item. This can be a good opportunity to get advice on the value of items you’ve been wondering about. Call 212-255-0020 to find out at which shows we’ll have appraisals next.
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