You are here: Home Finances Personal ... How Much Is Your ... Summary
Information about all aspects of finances affected by a serious health condition. Includes income sources such as work, investments, and private and government disability programs, and expenses such as medical bills, and how to deal with financial problems.
Information about all aspects of health care from choosing a doctor and treatment, staying safe in a hospital, to end of life care. Includes how to obtain, choose and maximize health insurance policies.
Answers to your practical questions such as how to travel safely despite your health condition, how to avoid getting infected by a pet, and what to say or not say to an insurance company.

Summary

Before selling or borrowing against personal property, learn its value. Antiques, artworks and other collectible items often have such an individual nature that fixed values are difficult to establish. For such individual items, you should at least be able to determine a range. 

You can get an idea about what your personal property is worth by a variety of means.

An easy place to start is by looking on the internet. 

  • Auction sites such as ebay.com offsite link  and LiveAuctioneers.com offsite link will give you an idea of what comparable items are being sold for for free.
  • Consider subscribing to a database of auction-house sales. For instance, while each of the following sites have a charge, they both offer a free preview. They can also help you identify auction houses which specialize in your type of property.
  • You can get an idea of value from appraisal sites such as instappraisal.com offsite link (free appraisals) or ValueMyStuffNow.com offsite link (for a small fee). The ValueMyStuffNow site is based in England and the home page shows British pounds. For U.S. dollars, select the currency on the 'Pricing' page before you proceed.

You can also get an idea of value from an appraiser (an expert on current value of property), local stores or flea markets. Suggestions for obtaining value of items such as automobiles, jewelry and household and other less expensive items are discussed in other sections of this document. For more information see:

How To Find, Choose And Work With An Appraiser

To find an appraiser

Check with the following:

For an estimate on a specific item, hire a specialist on an hourly basis if you can't find an appraiser.

When choosing an appraiser:

  • Look for someone with experience and education relevant to the items you are selling,
  • Do not hesitate to ask for evidence of expertise.
  • Watch out for conflict of interest. Do not rely on the appraisal of a dealer to whom you are considering selling the item.
  • Ask about the cost of an appraisal. 
    • The charge should be based on the amount of time it takes to inspect a piece, do research and prepare a written document if you need one. 
    • You can often obtain a free appraisal from a dealer or auctioneer who hopes to get the object to sell.

When working with an appraiser:

  • Be clear about the reason for your appraisal. Appraisal values differ depending on the use. For instance, appraisers give a lower value to items that are being valued for estate tax purposes.
  • Show the appraiser the item, not a photograph. Photos are not as reliable as in-person inspections.

How To Value Household And Other Inexpensive Items

For household and other inexpensive items, you can get an idea of value by:

  • Look in thrift stores and tag sales in your neighborhood
  • Check with an online auction site, such as www.ebay.com offsite link or LiveAuctioneers.com offsite link
  • Read through price guides which are available in bookstores or public libraries
  • Speak with dealers active in buying and selling antiques
  • PriceMiner.com claims to be "the most comprehensive pricing tool in the world". It can help identify, research and price your items. PriceMiner.com charges a fee. See www.PriceMiner.com offsite link
  • For antique items that may be similar to yours, look at www.p4a.com offsite link

If you have additional tips for people to learn the value of their items for free, please let us know at Survivorship A to Z

How To Value An Automobile

If you are thinking of disposing of an automobile, you can find out online how much its worth at sites like Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com offsite link) and Edmund’s (www.edmunds.com offsite link).

How To Value Jewelry

To determine the value of jewelry, contact at least two reputable local jewelers. For more expensive items, it is advisable to check with at least one jeweler in a large metropolitan area if you don't live in one.

To locate qualified independent appraisers, contact one of the following organizations which are listed alphabetically:

  • American Society of Appraisers: http://www.appraisers.org offsite link Tel.: 703.478.2228. Master Gemologist Appraisers are trained to appraise all types of jewelry.
  • American Gem Society: www.AmericanGemSociety.org offsite link, Tel.: 866.805.6500. Look for Independent Certified Gemologist Appraisers
  • Natonal Association of Jewelry Appraisers: http://www.najaapraisers.com, offsite link Tel.: 718.896.1536. Look for a Cerfiied Senior Member or a Certified Master Appraiser.