Treasure stories like that exist, of course, and are true for the most part. I recently read an account of a couple who placed  a very rare and valuable book, which had been stolen from an exhibition, in a box of books that was for sale at a bazaar. They were caught when they subsequently tried to sell it for thousands of dollars. Their defense that they had found the book at the bazaar didn’t wash with the jury, unfortunately for them. Rarer than rare books themselves is the chance you’ll find one just floating around.

Is your library of books worth anything substantial?  While the written accounts of aviators is of no interest to most of us, the fact that aviation books have a dedicated following automatically creates a market for them. Did grandpa buy a book about Jimmy Doolittle that lies forgotten somewhere on the top shelf? Maybe he even had it autographed during a book tour that came through town once upon a time.

From out-of-print books to signed editions to used textbooks, all publications have value. Magazines and even ads that were torn from them are desireable to collectors and curio buyers. Have one or two interesting items? Do your own research to find out what they’re worth. Have a much larger collection? Better call your insuror who can advise you how to proceed. They will likely request an appraisal of the books and then write a floater policy to protect your investment.

Condition definitely affects what a collector is willing to pay for a book. There are more terms identifying different parts of a book than you would think. And twice as many descriptions of condition or damage pertaining to each of them.  Some examples: sides dust-soiled, corners rubbed, hinges reinforced, page repaired with small portion of image lacking, inner margin reinforced, and some reinforcements affecting sharpness of image, two leaves supplied from another edition.  Staining and spotting variously, generally light,a few early inked marks of emphasis, and scattered marginalia in English. Spine sunning and crack along top back edge. Spine of volume slightly darkened, and some spotting; interior clean and lovely. Spine with gilt-stamped title; some rubbing and with a bit of green discoloration to paper of front cover. Minor offsetting to frontispiece and title-page; mild to moderate foxing in first third of volume and to last few pages. Believe it or not, values depend on minute condition differences such as these.

The rarity of a book has a lot to do with its value. A first edition of the collected works of Shakespeare published in 1623 sold recently for more than $6 million, a record price for the Bard’s works. Not too many of those lying around.

Some book dealers advertise book appraisal services but bear in mind that their profits depend on their buying low and selling high so tread carefully.  Some appraisers may provide you with “judgement call” appraisals while others use data from sales reports, auctions and on-line marketplaces like EBay. Our guidelines require us to research all of our assignments before arriving at a fair market value.

An appraiser must process a great deal of information, making it a very specialized profession. Our reports must be accurate so insurance underwriting and claims, bankruptcy, estate or community property issues can be resolved equitably.

Getting the opportunity to view interesting and sometimes very rare books is an extra added attraction.  Assignments like these are a pleasure.

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At The St. Lucie Appraisal Company, a CARFAX report for your vehicle is included at no charge when you hire us to write your appraisal.

An evaluation report or diminished value appraisal is virtually worthless unless the vehicle’s history is known. How can an appraiser determine whether the vehicle has ever had any significant damage? One of the most embarrassing things is to place a specific value on a vehicle only to have the owner or dealer find out that it is worth much less due to previous repairs having been done. Even if it was fixed properly, it has reduced appeal to buyers and, of course, the dealerships and wholesalers who have to sell it.

Would you believe that used car dealers will offer up to 50% less for a vehicle that was repaired after an accident. Even minor repairs count heavily in the minds of consumers, especially when there are plenty of  vehicles with no claims history to choose from. I have even encountered dealerships who will not take a previously repaired car in trade at any price.

Unfortunately, even though your once-or-twice repaired vehicle is worth much less than a comparable unit, don’t expect the insurance companies to give you a break on their rates. It costs just as much to insure a repaired car as it does a pristine one. When you suffer a total loss, however, you can be assured that the insurer will be paying you an amount that reflects the fact that there was a previous history on the car.

So whether you are buying, selling, pursuing a claim or writing coverage on a vehicle, be smart and have it appraised by someone who offers CARFAX reports. In diminished value claims, of course, obtaining accurate information is the difference between fair compensation and settling for a much lower dollar amount.

Bet you also didn’t know that our company handles diminished value claims nationwide.

Call 772-359-4300 for more information.

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A recent survey conducted by Chubb Insurance found that many people did not know the limitations of their coverage or what the coverage actually would pay if an item was lost, broken, or stolen. An appraisal is how they can determine the value of your collection.

Most collectibles are items that appreciate with time. There are carriers that will pay up to 150% of your coverage amount if at the time of loss your item has appreciated over the amount you are currently insured for. Breakage coverages will cover items for breakage or damage.  Most homeowners policies will not cover this type of loss. A mysterious  disappearance floater will cover items that are lost or misplaced and if a single piece of a pair or set is damaged, lost or destroyed, you can have the option to surrender the remaining piece and recover the total value of the set.

People put a lot of time and money into their collections. And their collections are likely worth a lot more money than they think. Regrettably, collectors often don’t find out that their collections were underinsured, or not insured at all, until after the damage has occurred.

There are many web sites where you can obtain additional information about insuring your collectibles. One such site is http://www.collectorsresources.com where you will be introduced to many helpful resources.

It is most likely you will choose  an all risks policy which will insure your valuables against everything from fire to nuclear attack.  If it is necessary for you to travel with your collection, most specialty policies will provide coverage to and from your destination.

“My insurance company tells me my claim is not covered due to a particular provision in my policy.” Don’t ever be the poor guy or gal saying these words. Have valuable stuff? Have it appraised.

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Bet you also didn’t know that St. Lucie Appraisal will permanently document your collection and amend it whenever you add another significant item. Contact us at stlucieappraisal@gmail.com or at http://stlucieappraisal.net

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However, the amount you invest in your chopper doesn’t always equate to how much its worth. Is your bike desireable as in marketable? Just because the finished product is something you always dreamed of, beauty is sometimes only in the eye of the beholder.

Performance issues are another important factor in evaluating a custom motorcycle. A frame that isn’t suited to the motor or other equipment you’ve chosen affects the value as well. Improper design geometry leads to safety issues as well as poor performance. Your idea of an awesome paint job also might not appeal to everyone else and adversely affect what your bike is worth. Over the last twenty years, chopper kits have become popular with the do-it-yourselfer and that has  contributed to a proliferation of lower quality units.  Again, it’s not necessarily what you hang on your frame that adds to the value. More important is that the finished product has both looks and function. Professionally built bikes such as  Orange County Choppers will cost more but they’re additional value lies in the simple assumption that they were properly designed and assembled.

So is that chopper you’re looking to buy worth thirty grand? And after you purchase it, will your insurance company write a policy for the amount you paid? It pays to do your homework. Now that there’s so much information available online; compare, compare, compare. Make phone calls, bug people at bike shops and be persistent in your research. The hours you spend doing your homework will be worth it.

So how do we appraise a chopper? What you’ve already read should give you some hints.  Be informed and be thorough-two important rules in our business. 

Bet you also didn’t know that St. Lucie Appraisal has been appraising motorcycles and other custom vehicles since 1979? Call 772-359-4300 to make an appointment anywhere in South Florida.

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THOR 127 ART BY JACK KIRBY AND VINCE COLLETTA

It makes sense to insure your valuables yet many collectors ignore this rule when it comes to their comic books. For those who might not be aware, a typical homeowners insurance policy does not cover collectibles for their full worth. What is needed is  separate coverage that insures your receiving the full value of your comics should they perish in a fire, flood or through theft. Believe it or not, entire boxes of books have all but vanished as a result of rodent infestations.

Before an insurance company will write coverage for your collection they will want to know what it is worth. Are they going to take your word for it? Hardly. And providing them with an inventory of your issues won’t help much either as they have no way of verifying that you actually have what’s on your list.

An appraisal company who specializes in evaluating collectibles is who you will contact in order to present a comprehensive picture to your insurer. Once they have a report from a licensed appraiser the rest is simple.

One of the things that confuses collectors is the difference between a comic book appraiser and a comic book grader. The appraisal is a general overview of everything in the collection and an evaluation of it’s approximate worth. Grading is a more refined look into an individual comic to determine it’s condition.  As grading services typically charge hundreds of dollars for just a few issues it makes little sense to grade an entire collection. The appraisal is a comprehensive report that contains adequate information for insurance purposes.

In addition to the insuring of your comic book collection there are other reasons you should seek an appraisal. In the event of your passing, your estate will need to know the value of your collection. Without accurate numbers, your heirs could conceivably sell off the comics for far less that their actual worth.  In a bankruptcy or divorce, knowing the value of your collectibles is also vital. And in the event you decide to sell the books, a policy that shows an itemized list and corresponding values is appealing, especially if the buyer wishes to continue obtaining coverage from the same insuror.

The St. Lucie Appraisal Company is  licensed and insured. If your collection doesn’t happen to be in the State of Florida, you may ship your books to our secure storage facility where they will be protected from all perils while we perform our appraisal.

You have choices. Whether or not to spend money on insurance is a matter of personal preference. We highly recommend a call to your homeowners insuror just to get an idea of what is covered and for how much. You may be surprised to know that your HO policy, when it comes to your collectibles, is practically worthless. Ask any collector whose comics have fallen victim to natural or unnatural disasters. A typical response might be “They only compensated me for 10% of the value of my collection.”

It makes sense to learn about protection and how to make sure you have enough of it. Thankfully, answers are now only a few mouse clicks away. Be wise-take the time to do it.

Bet you also didn’t know that the average cost to appraise a comic book collection is usually less than 5% of it’s entire value?

Call 772-359-4300 or find us at  http://stlucieappraisal.net

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The other driver’s insurance company will gladly pay to have your vehicle repaired and then they hope you’ll go away forever.

What a surprise you’ll get a few years down the road when you go to trade your car in. The car you thought was worth $20K in trade-in value is actually worth only half that much. Why? Because of that minor fender bender that occurred years before.

Even though your automobile may have been properly repaired, the fact that a previous damage entry appears on your CARFAX means that your car is worth much less to the dealers and wholesalers-as much as 50% less!

Automobile diminished value claims can be filed against the insurers of drivers who hit you. The newer your car, the more you have to lose in equity. Be aware-know your rights and options.

ST LUCIE APPRAISAL AUTOMOBILE DIMINISHED VALUE SPECIALISTS

Bet you also didn’t know that St. Lucie Appraisal handles automobile diminished value claims nationwide.  

Call 772-359-4300 or find us at  http://stlucieappraisal.net

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Bet you didn’t know that going to an classic automobile show is more fun than Bumper Cars.

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Bet you also didn’t know that St. Lucie Appraisal’s telephone number, 772-359-4300, can be reached from practically anywhere in the world!

Why don’t you call us now for an insurance appraisal on  your classic cars as well as  your Bumper Cars and other valuable stuff?

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Bet you didn’t know that if you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. 

But….

If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die. 

Bet you also didn’t know that St. Lucie Appraisal can guarantee that your Classic Auto, Boat or Aircraft will be insured for it’s full value. Have something valuable? Have it appraised.

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Bet you also didn’t know that the insurance will also pay off if the bottles become worthless because, say, firefighters hose down the wine cellar during a fire and all the labels come off. None of this applies unless you had an appraisal or certified inventory done first, though. Call St. Lucie Appraisal today.

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While not everyone has a card like this in their collection, it pays to know just what your baseball memorabilia is worth. Baseball cards, jerseys, bats and balls are just some of the items St. Lucie Appraisal will evaluate for you.

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