About Appraisals:
- Why do I want to have a quilt appraisal?
- What is the difference between a quilt appraisal and quilt documentation?
How Appraisals are Done:
- Does a quilt appraisal need to be done in-person?
- How much do appraisals cost?
- Are there additional fees?
- How should I prepare for my appraisal?
- What should I bring to the appraisal?
- What if I don’t know much about my quilt?
- What happens during an appraisal?
- Are there things that I should avoid doing during the appraisal?
- When can I expect my appraisal to be finished?
About Appraisers:
- Are their other quilt appraisers that I can work with?
- What can I, as the quilt owner, expect from you as my appraiser?
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Why do I want to have a quilt appraisal?
A professional appraisal can used as a legal document to confirm the value of the quilt. This document may be necessary for your insurance company, the IRS, and while settling estates. It can be used as a guide when selling a quilted item.
Usually it is a good idea to have the appraisal updated every 3-5 years.
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What is the difference between a quilt appraisal and quilt documentation?
While appraisals and documentation provide a physical description of the quilt, there is a significant difference between having your quilt appraised and documenting your quilt for state archives.
Appraisals focus on the value of the items and are for very specific purposes such as insurance purposes, donation or sale.
Documentation of a quilt is a more detailed process and may focus on the stories and family lore associated with the quilt.
Please consult the QuiltIndex for more information about documentation.
- About the Quilt Index
- Adding to the Quilt Index
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Does a quilt appraisal need to be done in-person?
Yes.
I need to freely inspect the condition of the quilt to provide an accurate evaluation of the quilt’s age and value. This cannot be done with pictures, video or by email.
Please see the “Appraisal Don’ts List” further down the page.
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How much do appraisals cost?
The appraisal fee will be disclosed and paid before the appraisal is written. The appraisal fee is not influenced by the value of the item.
If I do not feel that the item’s value is sufficient to warrant the cost of the appraisal, I will tell you so. If you still want the appraisal, the charge will be the normal rate for the situation.
Appraisal fees range in cost due to the amount of work involved and if other organizations that are involved. My appraisals are typically $75, but can go as high as $250. Higher prices are charged for situations that require additional research time and paperwork.
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Are there additional fees?
Sometimes.
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MILEAGE FEES
Mileage is the most likely additional fee if we are scheduling an appraisal outside of a larger event like a quilt show or an appraisal day at a shop.
I will expect compensation for mileage if I need to drive more than 30 miles to reach our agreed upon appraisal destination. The distance will be calculated from this address which is near my home – 1600 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60610.
You will be charged for the distance beyond 30 miles and at the mileage rate accepted by the IRS at the time of the appraisal. If the mileage fee is a concern for you, we may be able to find a certified appraiser who closer to your area.
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OTHER FEES
The appraisal fee covers the written appraisal only. If additional services are needed, such as my presence for court testimony, an additional consultation fee will be charged for time, travel and accommodations.
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How should I prepare for my appraisal?
We will work together to identify a place where we are both comfortable meeting.This will be done by email or by phone. To start this process contact me from this website.
To prepare for the appraisal, gather the information that you have about the quilt and its owner. I will ask about the following things:
- Contact information. Be ready to provide the phone and mailing address for both you and the owner if the quilt is owned by someone else.
- Consider why you want the appraisal. I write an appraisal to determine one of three things – insurance value, sale value, or donation value. The most common purpose for an appraisal is to determine insurance value.
- Any previous appraisals.
- If the quilt is listed in the Quilt Index, please bring its identification number.
- Who made the quilt and if they were well known for their quilting skills.
- When and where the quilt was made.
- Historical events or people that are associated with the quilt.
- Competitions, exhibitions, or books where the quilt may have been judged or made known to the public.
- A description of any stabilization, conservation, restoration and repair work since the quilt was originally made.
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What should I bring to the appraisal?
Bring the following things to the appraisal:
- The quilt. I will not appraise an item from pictures your a description. Consider a way to safely transport the quilt. You may wish to use a large pillowcase or fold it neatly and wrap it in a cotton sheet.
- The owner or at least the owner’s contact information. I will need their name, phone number and mailing address. This will allow me to send the appraisal directly to the owner. If the owner’s contact information is not provided, I will not do the appraisal.
- Bring documentation or photos to support your understanding of the quilt’s history.
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What if I don’t know much about my quilt?
That is fine. I can still do the appraisal.
Collect your ideas about what you think you know. Share that information with me and convey what you are certain of.
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What happens during an appraisal?
You will meet the appraiser at the scheduled place and time.
An appraisal is a confidential process between the owner and the appraiser. If others are present, I will confirm that this is acceptable for the owner. I will only share the value of the quilt with the owner.
I will take the quilt and open it up to briefly inspect it. After I do a brief inspection of the quilt, I will listen to your understanding of the quilt’s history. At that point, I will need to take notes from the quilt. I will return to the quilt and do a more detail inspection. This may take 20 minutes or more. I may ask questions during this time.
Once I have taken my notes, I will share some information with the owner and there will be a brief opportunity for questions and I will return the item to you.
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Are there things that I should avoid doing during the appraisal?
Before we meet here are things to be aware of:
- If you are interested in selling the quilt to me, please state that is the case when we schedule the appraisal. It may be necessary to utilize a different appraiser for that item. This will avoid a conflict of interest.
- Don’t ship the quilt to me. Quilts can be lost or damaged during the shipping process. I may not be able to personally accept delivery of your quilt. I cannot take responsibility for a quilt that I am not expecting and if I am traveling you do not want your quilt to sit uncollected for extended periods of time.
- Do not expect that we will do the appraisal in my home. My home address is included on my material for correspondence purposes. This policy is for your safety, my safety and your quilt’s safety. I usually schedule appraisals at a neutral and public location – such as a quilting supply store, a community center, a church or a library.
- Please understand that our time together is the only time that I have to study your quilt. This time is necessary for me to write an accurate appraisal. We will have time for you to share your knowledge, but there will be a time when I need to end our conversation so that I can learn directly from your quilt. During this time, I may ask that I be allowed to focus on what I can observe in the quilt.
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When can I expect my appraisal to be finished?
In most cases, you will not be given the value of your quilt on the day of the appraisal. I will probably be able to share other types of information about the quilt with the owner.
When I have completed my research, I will mail the written appraisal to the owner. Depending on what is involved with your appraisal, my research may take 2 days to 2 months. Generally, I am able to mail the appraisal in a few days, unless I need to do a great deal of research. If there is a delay of more than a few weeks, I will try to notify the owner of the delay.
While I try to finish the appraisals as quickly as possible after our meeting, there can be a delay because of the volume of appraisals that I am asked to do. In some situations, I may be collecting notes for a dozen or more appraisals in a day. I will work through those appraisals on a first-come-first-serve basis.
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Are there other quilt appraisers that I can work with?
Yes.
There are two organizations that govern the appraisal of quilted textiles. They are the American Quilter’s Society (AQS) and the Professional Association of Appraisers – Quilted Textiles (PAAQT). The both provide a list of appraisers for the United States and Canada. Many appraisers belong to both groups, but some appraisers only belong to one or the other.
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What can I as the quilt owner expect from you as my appraiser?
Reputable appraisers follow recognized ethical guidelines and regularly engage in professional development to stay current with trends in the quilting community. My background, experience and professional development activities are listed under the About Me portion of this website.
I also want you to know that I will consult with other appraisers if I feel that I need to confirm my approach or information regarding your appraiser. If I do this, your identity will not be made known to the consultant.
In some situations I will not appraise your quilted item. I will refuse to appraise your quilted item under these conditions:
- If I feel I lack the appropriate background knowledge to complete the appraisal accurately. You may seek other appraisers using the contact lists on this page.
- If I feel the value of your quilted textile does not warrant an appraisal. This information will be free.
- If I feel that you are not working with me in good faith or if I am uncomfortable with our interactions. You may seek other appraisers using the contact lists on this page.
- If you are not the owner and do not provide me with the necessary information to deliver the appraisal to the owner in a confidential manner.
- If you are considering selling the quilt to me and I am also interested in buying it. In this situation, it is necessary for us to work with another appraiser who will represent your interests in the quilt. You may seek other appraisers using the contact lists on this page.
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