William Novotny’s Valuation Background

William Novotny has 20 years of market experience (1979-1999) as an antique and general residential contents dealer in the wholesale and retail market levels. During that time he bought, sold and consigned antiques, fine art, decorative art, collectibles and general residential contents as a dealer.

In 1979 Novotny opened a 21,000 sq. ft. general antique store in the heart of Glendale California. In 1987 he moved nearby to an 8,000 sq. ft. general antique and rare records store with over a quarter million records. Seven years later he opened a general antiques stores on Melrose in West Hollywood and then Novotny's Antique Gallery in Pasadena. 

Retail Market Level (Relevant to Insurance Work)

He regularly exhibited at Bustamante and other antique shows and at several Los Angeles area antique malls including the Cranberry House, King Richards, Antique Alley at the LA Farmers Market, Kaleidoscope, Pasadena Antique Center and the monthly RC Canning Rose Bowl Swap Meet. Novotny retired from retail sales as an antiques dealer in 1999.

He restored many of his own antiques and offered antique furniture restoration services to the public during the 1990's. He has worked closely with his brother, Gary Novotny, the owner of Novotny's Refinishing since the late 1960's.

Orderly Liquidation Market Experience (Relevant to Fair Market Value)

Novotny's experience in the orderly liquidation market has been intense and continuous for over 32 years. Since 1979, for 20 years, he purchased most personal property types at Los Angeles and Southern California weekly, monthly and quarterly auctions. More often that not he purchased enough to fill his pick up, and often his large furniture moving truck.

Novotny continues his study of the orderly liquidation auction market by current research of auction sales results relevant to his appraisal practice (1993 to present).

Novotny's understanding of how typical buyers react to the various property types in the orderly liquidation market is also based on performing as an estate sale agent in the complete liquidation of household contents since 1989. He has discovered and identified many rare paintings, historical documents, important silver, fine jewelry, pottery and many other objects in the course of being retained as an agent to liquidate the contents of many dozens of homes throughout Southern California.

Most residential contents, including used furniture, appliances, wall/floor coverings, lighting, kitchen and garage contents etc. are common and typical. Novotny has liquidated most types of property repeatedly over the years at his retail locations and at estate sales.

In 1993 Novotny attended a weekend program at the College for Appraisers for a year during which time he studied many types of antiques, collectibles and personal property including furniture, glass, pottery, metals, primitives, Asian objects and jewelry.

Formal Training and Independent Study

In 1997 he completed and passed the advanced six-day Antiques and Residential Contents Specialty Course produced by the International Society of Appraisers. See Novotny's CV for further information about his qualifications, related experience and background.

Novotny studies the market and various property types daily through careful reading of each issue of Maine Antique Digest, auction catalogs, trade publications and journals. He has an extensive appraisal research library with hundreds of auction catalogs, journals, marks references, identification data and specialized book sections that focus on most general property types such as furniture, fine art, glass, ceramics, silver, lighting, dolls, quilts, clocks, oriental rugs, Asian and Native American objects, collectibles and other decorative arts property types. He regularly reviews these sources.

 The Novotny Saga

The first Novotny's Antique store, opened by Bill Novotny in 1979, was a 20,000 square foot store on North Brand Blvd in downtown Glendale. That building is still located directly across the street from the historic Art Deco Alex Theater.

Quality has always been the focus of Novotny.

In 1979 Novotny was working on his master thesis in Psychology  at CSULA and in Gerontology at USC. He finished the course work for both programs and was working independently to develop his master's thesis for both programs.

His master's thesis, after two years of development, sought to identify and analyze quality of care indicators in nursing homes. Which indicators are most important to each group with an interest in quality of care? He expected to find that quality of care means something different to the patient, the family and the health care professionals that provide the medical and custodial services which his quality of care indicators would identify and measure.

As Novotny walked down Brand Blvd in Glendale 1979, thinking about his "quality of care" thesis, he noticed a department store moving out of the big building across from the Alex Theater. Novotny enquired if that building would be available for lease. He and his family were planning to open a family antiques store. Within a week the Novotny Family signed a lease and Novotny's Antiques on Brand Boulevard opened 60 days later. On grand opening day Novotny sold an oak 1920's dining room set. That set would be worth about the same today.

Since that day Novotny has not consulted with his academic master's program advisers for over 30 years. He simply walked away and never look back. No regrets. He wonders, however, if anybody has yet defined quality of care in nursing homes?

Now days he focuses on the quality of his own performance, teaching the minimum quality of care standards (USPAP) to personal property appraisers and the quality of the objects he appraises. He prefers to think he remains on independent study, since he studies quality characteristics on a daily basis as it relates to the value of objects.

When Novotny's Antiques opened on Brand Blvd. in Glendale in 1979 Gary Novotny was a partner. Gary soon left the partnership to focus on Novotny's Refinishing.

Community Support 

Novotny has lectured at School districts, local museums, libraries and senior citizen centers and homes; during these probono appearances he frequently identifies and orally values objects for an audience.

Since 2009 Novotny has served on the expert panel for the Pasadena Historical Museum's popular community program called "Please, Please Don't Throw that Out." The Education Program Coordinator recently sent him this email:

Hi Bill, Thank you again for participating in this years Please, Please Don't Throw that Out program. We really appreciate your support of our efforts to explore grass roots history. We received a lot of positive comments from the audience. Your expertise helped to make the program successful Very best, Brad Macneil, Education Program Coordinator

Find Out More About Novotny's Appraisal Services

Frequently there is a need for a fast paced oral appraisal report only. See the extent of Novotny's experience with the many types of property for which clients seek  a generalist appraiser. Novotny has provided oral appraisals regarding general antiques, collectibles and residential contents for private clients as well as for non-profit entities such as museums, libraries, special charitable events and various cities.

Find out about  Novotny's expert witness specialty background.Novotny has been deposed and has provided testimony at trial on several occasions.

Find out more about the types of intended uses of an appraisal.

Find out about distant/online appraisals.

See Novotny's service area.

Solve your valuation problem. CONTACT Bill Novotny now.

Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice  (USPAP)

The minimum requirements for personal property appraisers are established by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) which require that the appraiser competently identify the appraisal problem and conduct the scope of work necessary to solve the valuation problem as identified by the appraiser. USPAP offers a basis for the public to place their trust in appraisers.

AQB Certified USPAP Instructor

In 2002 Mr. Novotny was certified (#10138) as an AQB Certified USPAP Instructor of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) by the Appraiser Qualification Board (AQB) of the Appraisal Foundation. He was the first personal property appraiser in the United States to attain this certification. He has remained current with his AQB Certification by recertifying for each new USPAP publication cycle including the 2012-2013.

Novotny has taught the Appraisal Foundation's National 15-Hour USPAP course or 7-Hour USPAP Update course yearly since 1997 for many professional personal property appraiser societies including ASA, ISA, ANA, the College For Appraisers, Appraisal Course Associates. During the late 1990's he taught basic valuation courses in theory, methods, practice and report writing for ANA and in 2011 for the College For Appraisers.

In 2010 he authored and published, in conjunction with Appraisal Course Associates (ACA),  a currently available Online USPAP Update Course for personal property appraisers.

Read a published article regarding USPAP's SCOPE OF WORK RULE and  COMPETENCY RULE requirements for generalist personal property appraisers. Read another article about the requirements that apply and the methods that can be used when property cannot be inspected and yet must be valued.

CONTACT Bill Novotny now to solve your personal property valuation problem.

Copyright 2011 - all rights reserved - William M. Novotny