Book, Manuscript, and Collection Appraisals

According to the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL),

Professional book appraisers and most booksellers appraise and evaluate book materials. Individuals who have been in the business for some years know market trends and have often handled the book or books in question. They are well aware of the criteria that give books value. The charge for an appraisal should be based on the time the appraisal takes. Expenses, such as travel, normally will be added to these charges (Van Wingen).

Additionally, there are specialized appraisers for artwork, furniture, manuscripts, and other types of collections.

A list of Gettysburg-area appraisers is provided as a courtesy to patrons interested in determining the value of their personal collections. This list is culled from the following sources:

• American Society of Appraisers
• Antiquarian Booksellers? Association of America
• Appraisers Association of America
• Pennsylvania State Library Antiquarian Specialist and Bookdealers, Restorers, and Binders

You may find additional appraisers from the sources listed above or from additional organizations, such as the International Society of Fine Arts Appraisers, PO Box 5280, River Forest, Illinois 60305. You may also find additional resources by searching in your local telephone book?s yellow pages, generally under ?Appraisers.?

Disclaimer

Please be aware that the Musselman Library does not endorse or recommend any individual collection appraisers. The information in this document is provided as a way to help you begin conducting research on a suitable appraiser for your collection.

It is a legal and ethical conflict of interest for a library to appraise collections offered to it. In addition, a library cannot arrange collection appraisals between donors and appraisers