|
|
|
| An appraisal is a written record of
the identity, design, quality and value of an article.
The identification and description of the items in such
appraisals are often helpful when selling, but the evaluation
usually is not. |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Learn more about appraisals by clicking
on the links below: |
|
| What Appraised
Values Represent |
| High Appraisals
from the Early 1980's |
| Antique and Period
Jewelry are Worth More |
| Offers are More
Helpful |
| Perception of
Price is Critical |
|
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
| 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. |
|
| High Appraisals from the
Early 1980's |
| Jewelry, gold, silver and diamonds
were at record highs in the early 1980's. If your insurance
appraisal is dated around that time, the values may be
significantly inflated by today's standards. |
|
| Antique and Period Jewelry
are Worth More |
| If the design of some of your items
fall into the classification of antique or period jewelry,
then they could be worth more than when originally purchased. |
|
| Offers are More Helpful |
| 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. Someone
who tells you what you should get for an item, but won't
buy it himself 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 some
time and they may ultimately bring considerably less than
the estimate. In fact, they may not sell at all. |
|
| Perception of Price is
Critical |
| We find that it is the perception
of price that usually decides whether we are successful
in buying an item from a client. The price we must pay
depends on objectively determined factors- including the
quality, size, rarity and marketability of the item. If
an appraisal imparted an unrealistic idea of value a customer
will never sell. No one will be able to meet his or her
expectation. On the other hand, we buy nearly everything
that is offered to us by people who have a correct understanding
of the value of their items. |
|
