bearisgray

Anyone else wonder how the values given are arrived at?

Sometimes something that I think should be valued at megabucks comes in at $300 - and something I think belongs in the trash heap is valued at $50,000.

QuiltnNan

the appraisers know what they are doing, that's why...years of learning and experience

Doggramma

And remember something is only worth what someone will pay for it. And if there aren't people at an auction who want what you have, your 50,000 thing may only get 500. So then that 500 sale record factors into an appraiser's next appraisal guesstimate.

My husband collects old books and says stuff like that book is worth 300 or this one is worth 800, for instance. I say show me the money.

feline fanatic

Additionally, appraisals are a moving target. I love when ARS has the shows where they revisit previous appraisals from a show that was aired 10 or more years ago. Values go up and down or remain unchanged.

As disposable income changes so do appraisals. 15 years ago old toys were hot and got very high values and collectors had the money to spend on them. Then changes in the economy destroyed disposable income for many who collected antique toys and the values took a nosedive big time. Also collecting tastes change. One generation may collect for nostalgia. When that generation dies out the next may have no interest in these items so the values plummet.

It seems the only things that maintain or increase their value are fine art (paintings) and early American antique furniture. Everything else seems to fluctuate and sometimes wildly. I know on the last two quilt appraisals I had done by different appraisers, both commented that the market for quilts was currently depressed. This was for new show quilts, not antiques. I was still very surprised at how high the appraisals came in at. And you need to re-visit the appraisal if the quilt goes on to win ribbons. That will increase the appraised value.

But bottom line is what doggramma stated, something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it or insure it for in case of loss (and insurance requires an appraisal).

cashs_mom

I agree with feline fanatic. As tastes change and the market for goods changes, so do appraisals and values. I've also noticed that people often collect what they were around when they were young. My parents loved stuff from the early 1900's. They were both born in the the teens and that is what they were exposed to (which can be things from before their time, but what was around when they were young). I still have my father's stereoptic which he paid quite a bit for. Now it's not worth nearly as much.

Cars do the same. When I started showing cars, back in the day, early mustangs were all the rage. Every show had 8 or 10 of them. Now, I'm sometimes the only one or one of two with my 66. The 50's cars are slowly disappearing from shows and street rods and few. Seventies cars are now coming into their own. I hate to see it happen, but not much you can do about it.

ube quilting

My previous boss paid $15,000 for a brand new hand made quilt at a show about fifteen years ago. It was some kind of record at the time and it got a mentioned in QNM. Wonder what it's worth now?

Something is only worth what another person will pay for it.

Yes, $15,000.

ptquilts

I used to watch it like a kind of game show, I would try to guess the value before they gave it. Quite often I was right on target.
I prefer the British version - A) they have a better quality of antiques (no Mickey Mouse lunchboxes) and B) they are so reserved. You can tell someone, yes, you have a genuine royal tiara worth 5 million pounds, and they are like, How interesting, thank you very much and barely crack a smile.

tropit

Funny...my son's FIL and I were talking about this very thing. He has a lot of antiques in his house...a spill over from his parents collection. We decided that most people will only covet things that are from either their parents, or grandparents era. After that, they have no real referrence.

~ C

cashs_mom

Yes! Exactly! I've noticed many "younger" people now, like mid-century furniture (which would be what their grandparents had). I had that growing up and don't much like it, but I like the furniture that my grandparents had. With the cars, my husband at 59 is one of the younger guys showing street rods. He grew to like them because a older friend of his had them and they used to work on his friend's when my husband was a teenager.

Jingle

Everything goes around, comes around. What some don't like now others will come to like. Always hard to predict what someone else will like. A crystal ball is all we need.