Is there anyone here that can recommend free appraisals on Antique/ Vintage

[nikkytee35]

Hey guys, Im needing some free help on identifying and appraising a few "Vintage/Retro Era" items urgently!

Im selling on behalf of an elderly family friend who had collected many fine things over his 80 years, and who now has decided to  "just sell everything!!!"

.. but I'm as scared as hell!!  Knowing my luck I will just sell his most treasured for it chips!!!  .. then turns out its worth serious moola!!! I dont wana be the cause of his heart attack! I have glassware (reidel and possibly Murano), Full dinner sets stamped Myott & Staffordshire England, Antique lamps, vases, crystal, silver and massive brass wall murals! .. you name it!

Anyone have any suggestions as to who can help?

[siddieswans]

Seems to be a bit of a theme going on here. First and most important - where are you? And the items?

Second, why do you have to do it? If you live somewhere appropriate - ie near some big city or centre - why not get the local auction house to come in and appraise, with the notion of selling through them? Were you considering selling on eBay? By the time you take in eBay's FVF and PayPal fees, the difference in an auction house's sellers' commission is usually quite small. And some of the stuff (massive wall murals, full dinners sets) do not sound exactly postable!

If you do call in a local auction house, and then the relative does not decide to go ahead with them, you should expect to have to pay for their time. I have had exactly this same situation myself a couple of times with friends / relatives. When the relative discovers that the treasures they have carefully collected over a lifetime are not worth the fortune they fondly imagined, they sometimes decide not to part with them. Let us know where you are.