Antique appraisals - How to use the internet to research your antiques and collectibles value

How to use the Internet to research the value of your antiques and collectibles.

So, you think you may have something valuable. Fun. Trying to find out how much it's worth? I spend quite a bit of time visiting different antiques, collecting and appraisal websites, and I have tried to provide you with links for some of the best and easiest places to start your research.

I am not an antiques dealer or appraiser myself, but I have learned a few things from working with them over the years...

Don't just walk up and ask an antiques dealer, "What's this worth?" The standard reply is, "How much do you want for it?" Many of them have spent years acquiring knowledge, and passing out free advice is not typically part of their job description. Also, don't sell your item to the same person you ask to evaluate it. Buying low and selling high is how they make their living.
Quality is very important. Just because something is old doesn't necessarily make it valuable. The better its condition, the more it's worth.
No matter what information you find regarding the value of your antique or collectible, it is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay you for it! Just because a price guide says your antique doorknob is worth $100, if no one will give you that much, then it's not. Sorry.

The cow likes to use the internet to research antiques and collectibles values.

Warman's Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide

As the longest running price guide and the most trusted name in antiques and collectibles, this 43rd edition of Warman's Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide is better than ever, and brings a fresh, 21st-century perspective to the collecting world.

iTaggit is a Web 2.0 site that allows you to store and organize information about your items and collectibles. The iTaggit team recognizes that your net worth includes high value items and collections.

The email
"Waiting Game"

How long do you wait to answer your email?

Wilcox & Hall have known "What it's worth" since 1959 and have a highly recommended service. They can offer you quick answers for your antique appraisal questions or a standard appraisal, ready in only 2 days. They have a fantastic do-it-yourself appraisal tutorial they offer at community colleges for only $2.95.
	Most people will start their search at eBay. You can search through their completed listings to see if your item has sold recently, and see for how much.
	Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2010: America's Bestselling and Most Up-to-Date Antiques Annual Get the most accurate prices and hottest trends in collecting today. Searching for unusual treasures, inexpensive trinkets, exceptional Americana, and everything else that comes across a collector's path? Kovels' price guide has it all, along with all the info you need to identify your collectible and instantly determine the right price. America's most trusted collecting resource since 1953, Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2010, is an all-new edition! "The Kovels' ... published guides to antiques and collectibles are considered the bibles of the field." New York Times
	WhatsItWorthToYou.com offers a variety of appraisal options. For instance, for $4 you can "Unlock their Database" and spend a day searching through over 10,000 past appraisals. They have another service they call getting a "Second Opinion." For $9.95 their appraisers will check out an item for sale online - whether it’s in an auction or on a website and and give their opinion on its authenticity as well as its fair market value and replacement value.

	More than 600,000 prices for antiques and collectibles sold in the United States are listed here. Each entry gives a description, price, and year of sale so the information can be used to price items today, track trends, or for tax and estate purposes.
	Country Living's "What Is It? What Is It Worth?" appraisal column is a favorite among readers. Let the experts from the leading auction houses in the country determine the value of your favorite collectible or prized family heirloom for free.
	You can read some good information about antique appraisals at the Antique-Antiques website.
	Prices 4 Antiques is a searchable database which provides past auction prices for antiques, collectibles and fine art.
	You can chat with antiques expert Doug Robinson at LivePerson.
	Bath Antiques offers extremely reliable, highly accurate and completely impartial antique appraisals as well as a free searchable antiques price guide with over 120,000 items.
	You can find a few ways to do some research at collect.com. They link to all kinds or resources, have a nice forum and a offer a weekly newsletter.
	PriceMiner is a service from the combined efforts of eBay, GoAntiques and the Internet Antique Shop. You get instant analysis in the form of graphs and charts including average price, number of items included in the average, range of price from highest to lowest, and a current estimate based on today’s market conditions with a confidence factor.
	Try doing some research at The Antiques & Collectibles Pricing and Reference Database. They provide detailed descriptions, prices based on condition, thousands of photos and a database searchable by keyword or category.

Try an extensive search at ArtPrice. They have searchable information on 306,000 artists, 21 million auction results and 36,000 signatures & monograms. Wow.