What is an appraisal?

Appraisals are an official verbal assessment of your property (art, antiques, furniture, et cetera). Official written appraisal reports are recommended when your insurance policy does not provide adequate coverage of your more valuable property, possessions, and artwork. These written appraisal reports should be updated by a certified appraiser every three to five years for insurance purposes. 

 

What type of property do we appraise?

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. is a personal property appraisal firm. We appraise most items found in a home or office. This includes fine art from Old Masters to contemporary works, antiques, jewelry, furniture, and decorative items. We have an extensive network of sources and contacts to confirm our initial analysis of your items which we will utilize when it comes time to compile your appraisal report. 

 

Is there a fee for an appraisal? 

Yes, we charge a fee for our services based on an hourly rate. This includes extensive research into the object itself as well as research into current markets and sales histories. Please contact one of our staff members to discuss our fee structure. 

 

What should you do if you are only interested in learning about your items and don't need a written appraisal?

One of our Inspection Services may be a good option for those who do not know the value of their item but would like to find out more about it. From here we can help guide you as to whether a formal appraisal should be written or direct you to the best course of sale for your pieces. As a third party in this process, you can have peace of mind that our findings will reflect the most accurate market value for your benefit. Please contact our office for more information regarding this service.

 

What is the benefit of a verbal consultation?

Many of our clients have inherited their items and artworks. Aside from offering a greater historical understanding of these pieces, a verbal consultation provides the opportunity for clients to ask questions and get more in touch with their possessions. From this meeting, we will be able to advise you on the next steps to take for your items, be they conservation, sale potential, or an official appraisal report.

 

 How do you arrive at value conclusions?

Aside from the official art price databases we subscribe to and a personal collection of books, we also have contacts at various museums, galleries, and auction houses to help us understand the best market and value for your items. Our certified appraisers are also in contact with a team of highly educated researchers at our office locations to help evaluate their initial thoughts on your work. Should you decide to have a report conducted, we assign these team members to further investigate the various elements of your items including their history, condition, and market value.

​

Will we travel to your location?

We do offer an on-site inspection service. For more information regarding fees and travel expenses, please contact one of our staff members.

 

What if my items are too large to bring into your office?

While offering an on-site inspection service, we do also have a digital inspection service that allows you to email images of your work. We will send you additional information regarding what aspects need to be photographed and what measurements need to be taken in order for us to conduct our initial research process. For more information regarding these photos, please look at our Photo Guidelines page found under our Appraisal Services tab.

 

Will we buy your artwork?

We do not purchase items that we appraise as this creates a conflict of interest. MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. does not have a current or contemplated future interest in the pieces appraised for their value.