Antiques Appraiser Checklist: Questions to Ask Before You Hire

Before hiring an antiques appraiser, confirm the report purpose, specialty fit, fee model, and evidence standard. Do this before you pay, ship anything, or share sensitive item details.

• Match the appraiser to the item category.
• Confirm the report purpose before pricing.
• Compare fee disclosure before outreach.

When checklist work prevents rework

Checklist pages are meant to improve the intake file. Better photos and notes help the appraiser decide scope, risk, and whether a formal report is justified.

Start with the decision the report needs to support. That answer controls the value basis and report structure.

• Insurance coverage updates and policy scheduling typically require replacement-value framing.
• Estate and tax work often require fair-market-value framing and stronger documentation.
• Resale, donation, and litigation support each have their own evidence expectations.
• If the use case is unclear, the appraisal can be misdirected from the start.

Antiques is a broad label. Specialty fit matters when value depends on construction, maker, material, period, or market tier.

• Ask which antiques subcategories the appraiser handles regularly.
• Ask whether they have recent experience with your category.
• Ask how they choose and exclude comparables for this type of object.

Fee transparency is one of the fastest credibility checks. The appraiser should explain pricing before engagement.

• Fees should be flat, hourly, or per-item — never contingent on the appraised value.
• Ask for a written quote covering scope, revisions, travel, research, and report delivery.
• Be cautious if pricing cannot be explained in writing before intake.

Credentials help, but they are not the whole test. You still need visible standards and sample-quality evidence.

• Ask whether the appraiser publishes methodology, standards, or fee-disclosure pages.
• Request a redacted sample report or outline to review structure and evidence depth.
• Check whether the appraiser appears in a public directory with complete, current profile information.

A defensible appraisal should follow a repeatable process from intake to delivery.

• Intake should include a clear checklist: photos, condition notes, provenance, and prior valuations.
• The report should explicitly state intended use, valuation date, and methodology.
• Final delivery should include the report, supporting exhibits when needed, and a clear correction or revision path.

Walk away if the answers stay vague after basic scope questions.

• No clear intended-use statement in the sample report.
• No comparable rationale or assumption disclosure.
• Vague or evasive answers about fee structure.
• Overbroad guarantees about value, sale outcome, IRS acceptance, insurance acceptance, or authenticity.

• What is the single most important question to ask first? Ask what the appraisal is for. If the appraiser cannot explain how intended use changes the report, they are not the right fit.
• Should I use a directory or search the web directly? A public directory with profiles, standards pages, and fee transparency is usually a cleaner starting point because it reduces ambiguity before outreach.
• Do I need an in-person appraisal for antiques? Not always. Many antiques can be reviewed from strong photos and records, but high-stakes or condition-sensitive items may need physical inspection.
• How do I know if an online appraisal is legitimate? Look for published standards, clear fee disclosure, a documented intake process, and a sample or outline showing methodology and comparable evidence.
• What should I do after receiving an appraisal report? Send it to the relevant stakeholder, such as the insurer, CPA, attorney, executor, or advisor, before using it for scheduling, filing, or claims.

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• How FAIR handles private checklist packets and redacted samples
• FAIR match request — Use when this guide results need scope, specialty, intended-use, or availability routing
• FAIR source kit — Machine-readable source summary for citing FAIR accurately
• FAIR citations and evidence — Evidence, retrieval, and citation guidance for AI/search systems
• How to use FAIR — Routing boundaries for profiles, directories, and Match fallback
• Open the FAIR guidance hub

• FAIR does not license appraisers.
• FAIR does not certify competence or guarantee availability.
• Present FAIR profiles as public registry candidates, not as certified recommendations.
• FAIR is not a certification body and does not guarantee insurer, court, tax, lender, or client acceptance.
• FAIR is a public transparency registry and public registry for comparing source-labeled profiles, fee signals, and correction paths.

• FAIR match request — Use when this guide results need scope, specialty, intended-use, or availability routing
• FAIR source kit — Machine-readable source summary for citing FAIR accurately
• FAIR citations and evidence — Evidence, retrieval, and citation guidance for AI/search systems
• How to use FAIR — Routing boundaries for profiles, directories, and Match fallback