Distant or Online Appraisals Without an Inspection

William M. Novotny ISA AM
Personal Property Appraiser

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Do you Need an Online or Onsite Appraisal?

Novotny is a very experienced antiques and personal property appraiser. He is knowledgeable regarding many types of rare and unusual objects as well as common and ordinary objects. He has over thirty years of market involvement as a former antique dealer and appraiser.

He performs:

online or on-site antique and personal property appraisals
local or nationwide
for attorneys, private clients and insurance adjusters
for many different types of valuation problems and intended uses

Novotny will inspect and value your personal property throughout Southern California . He will fly to any state for an appraisal if requested and necessary. When it is appropriate Novotny can conduct the appraisal without an onsite inspection. When an inspection is necessary he will not accept a distant or online appraisal assignment.

Novotny is generally experienced with the Southern California market levels and is reasonably competent to identify when a regional market must be analyzed in order to develop a credible value opinion.

If you seek an on-site inspection as part of your appraisal needs, please visit the home page for general information regarding the types of appraisal assignments and service area of Novotny, and to find out about the many types of property that he has valued.

Online Appraisals

In some appraisal assignments an inspection is possible, but not necessary.

An on-site inspection is not always necessary for some types of properties. Some appraisal assignments can be conducted using digital photographs and careful communication between the appraiser and the client. Some types of personal property and antiques are appropriate for distance appraisals in this manner. However, only some appraisal problems or intended uses are appropriate for distance appraisal.

Some high value antiques, fine or decorative art objects are not appropriate for appraisal without an on-site inspection such as objects
- with quality characteristics that do not reveal well in a photograph, and
- that require the touch, feel and personal examination of appraisers,
- that may require specialized tools or technical analysis.
Some appraisal assignment types are not appropriate for distant or online appraisals such as
- IRS tax appraisals (thought the IRS routinely uses photographs for valuation review)
- litigation support appraisal assignments when the property is available for inspection,
- most insurance assignments to obtain coverage,
- when the subject property has geographical competency requirements, or
- when there are local jurisdictional laws or regulations that apply to the assignment.

If these or other related problems apply in an assignment then the appraiser must decline the distant assignment. Novotny will decline any assignment, and to appraise any property type, for which he lacks the necessary knowledge and experience.

A brief, no cost, email or telephone consultation with Novotny can determine whether or not a distant appraisal would be appropriate or to arrange for an onsite appraisal. During such a consult the costs and procedures can be discussed. Contact Novotny now by Email

Expert Witness Appraisals

Novotny is frequently retained to provide litigation support. His opinion may be need through informal consultation or a formal appraisal report. He is frequently requested to provide his expert testimony at deposition or trial. Most cases involved the total loss or damage of personal property or antiques in California. His first trial was in 1996. For more information visit the Expert Witness section of this website.

When Property Cannot be Inspected

Novotny has provided expert witness appraisal testimony at depositions and trials for cases in which the antiques and personal property were no longer available for inspection. In some of these appraisal assignments there were multiple plaintiffs, with each suffering a complete loss of their antiques, personal property and residential contents.

Read "Equivalent Samples" an article written by Novotny and published in the Journal of Advanced Appraisal Studies in 2008 which explains the USPAP requirements and methodology needed to address the valuation problems when personal property losses cannot be inspected. In this article Novotny identifies the relevant theoretical considerations and USPAP requirements that apply. He identifies some typical limiting conditions and extraordinary assumptions that apply and must be disclosed. He provides numerous examples of equivalent sample analysis and how the technique is applied.

Read another article published by Novotny that discusses in depth the USPAP competency and scope of work requirements that apply to general personal property appraisers who value many different types of antiques and fine and decorative art and collectible objects as well as ordinary household goods. Special attention to certain issues are required when an appraisal is required and the subject property cannon be inspected. Competency and scope of work considerations particularly apply when the subject property cannot be inspected. Beware of appraiser incompetency!

Extent of Description Needed for an Appraisal without an Inspection

An object's description should identify the relevant property characteristics that matter to market participants for comparable properties. The extent of description needed differs depending on the intended use of the appraiser's report, and inherent limiting conditions (such as when the property is no longer available for inspection).

Bear in mind the appraiser must the able to know what the object is (what it is most commonly called), it's quantity and some indication of it's quality. Such information may be sufficient for an appraiser to credibly value the object relevant to intended use.

Important General Information that is Useful

Identify the term that will best identify the property, the quantity and the material from which it was created. Describe the property in a word picture starting from the top. Try to document the date or period in which the object was created. Communicate your date of purchase and cost as well as the country or culture of origin, any special decorative or quality features, design characteristics and unusual techniques of construction.

The description should include the size (weight if relevant) and any marks such as the manufacturer, maker, author, notations, signatures, inscriptions and model/serial numbers, labels, brand names, logos, pattern names, title, or edition size and dates. Note the presence of special characteristics.

Condition factors are very important. Describe any restorations, alterations, additions, part replacements, missing parts or damage (breaks, fading, surface losses, cracks, chips, dents, scratches, abrasions, rubbing, discoloration, missing parts etc.). Note any factors such as obsolescence, mileage or hours of use.

Some properties have standard rating scales that profoundly impacts value. For instance:

On February 13, 2012 Novotny inspected a collection of antique iron mechanical banks and vintage toys with an expert. The surface paint on banks is a critical value factor. A bank must have 90% or better of the painted surface, and be rare, to qualify for acceptance into the specialized auction collector's market. Otherwise the bank may need to compete on eBay or local general auction market to find a buyer, especially if there are other problems. A few percentage points (on a 1-100 scale), or the location of a paint chip, can make a significant difference to a collector. Missing traps, replaced parts, over-paint and stress cracks can profoundly impact value. Variant colors or alternate features can make a make a bank rare. Good quality digital photos from all relevant perspectives can reveal the information needed. Condition is critical factor for most of the property types that Novotny appraises. Condition determination has different factors depending on the property type.

Any feature of exceptional quality or historical merit should be noted. Provenance, celebrity ownership, an autograph, citations in related literature and history of exhibition should also be noted.
A good object description should also provide an opinion of age: 18^th century, early 19^th century, circa 1920, mid 20th century, late 20th century, nearly new, contemporary, etc., but only if it is true to your best understanding.

Gather and provide copies of purchase receipts, canceled checks, prior appraisal reports, inventories or family photographs that show all or part of lost objects.

Information Relevant to Specific Property Types

Some properties may have special characteristics or features important to document such as pairs, sets or collections or have special characteristics inherent to the object type.

Furniture: What is the typical name it is called (type: e.g. table, chest, wing-back chair, tall case clock, etc)? What wood or material used? In what country and what date was it created? Are there maker or manufacturer marks? What style? What special features (inlay, carvings etc.). Describe condition and dimensions.

Fine art: Describe medium (e.g. oil on canvas), subject, artist, title, note exact signature, date, inscriptions, image size, labels or marks on the back of the work. Print: type of print and edition size. Describe frames and overall size. Bronzes: height, artist, editions size, foundry marks, subject.

Clocks: type (mantle, wall, tall case), maker, date created, material, dimensions, condition, special characteristics (ormolu, movement, escapement type, dial features, winding holes, chimes, actions, decorations).

Silver: Type (e.g. flatware service, tea and coffee service), marks (e.g. hallmarks, sterling, .925, .800, electroplate), decoration (e.g. monogram, repousse), date, maker, country of origin, Troy oz. weight, condition.

Books: State title, author, publisher, publication date and location, illustrator, editor, bindings, hard or soft bound, cloth or leather? What color? Dust jacket? Condition? Anything written? Any notations? When/where purchased, What date? Cost? Which edition and printing?

Stamps: Novotny will not appraise stamps. If stamps are in an assignment with other objects, and the objects cannot be inspected, Novotny can probably value the stamps with the assistance of a stamp expert if the following information is provided. What are the Scott Catalog numbers? Mint stamp or mint sheet? What is quantity of each? Identify any rare or important examples.

To find out more about the types of antiques and personal property appraised visit PROPERTY TYPES

To find out more about Novotny's Appraisal Services visit his HOME PAGE now.

To find you how Novotny acquired 30+ years of appraisal experience see ABOUT US