An appraisal is a written record of identity, design, quality and value of an article.  The identification and description of the items such appraisals are often helpful when selling, but the evaluation usually is not.

WHAT APPRAISED VALUES REPRESENT

An appraised value for insurance is an estimate of the retail replacement price.  It covers the cost of making the exact duplicate of your items, including both the wholesaler’s and the retailer’s profits.  An appraised value is not the amount you would receive if you sold the items.  In fact, an insurance value is usually significantly higher than the actual cash value.  Appraisals frequently ignore the condition, age and marketability of the items.  This is especially true in the case of jewelry appraisals.

OFFERS ARE BETTER

If you are selling something, what you need is an offer not an appraisal.  An offer is the actual price someone will pay you today for an item.  Some who tells you what you should get for an item but won’t buy it is not making an offer.  A dealer who suggests a consignment of items at estimated selling prices is not making an offer.  Your items may not sell for a long time and they might bring considerably less than the estimate.  In fact, they may not sell at all.