The Old State House Museum is unable to provide appraisals of the monetary value of materials offered as gifts, brought in for identification, or submitted for any other purpose. The Internal Revenue Service regards museums as interested parties and appraisals prepared by them for gifts that they receive are subject to question. Consequently, to protect both its donors and itself, the Old State House Museum, as an interested party, ordinarily should not appraise gifts made to it. When an appraisal is used for tax or insurance purposes, an appraiser must be prepared to defend his or her appraisal in court. You should expect to pay an appraisal fee unless materials are subsequently purchased by the appraiser.
Similar considerations apply when appraisals are requested for reasons not connected with gifts and tax deductions. Accurate establishment of a price can be a complex procedure, requiring a time-consuming search in auction records and price guides that we are unable to undertake. Appraisers in your area can be located by checking the telephone directory under headings such as "Appraiser" and "Antique-Dealers."
The Appraisers Association of America, Inc., 541 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022, will send a directory of members for a small fee.
Appraisers Association of America, Inc.
386 Park Avenue South,
Suite 2000
New York, NY 10016
http://www.appraisersassoc.org/
Several sources of appraisers are also available through the Links to Other Sites section of our website.
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