Palmer Appraisal Services

03/25/2026

All that glitters isn't gold, and all that has a sterling mark isn't solid sterling silver! Most people with some familiarity with silver know that silver plated items have very little value in today's market, but sterling silver does. You need to look carefully, though, because something stamped "sterling" may also be stamped "weighted". What this means is that on either the entire piece, or at very least in the base of the piece, there is only an extremely thin layer of sterling bonded to a base metal that was molded into a hollow shape and then filled with a material such as cement, plaster, or wax to stabilize the piece and reduce the risk of tipping. What that means as far as value goes is a simple candlestick that would have been worth at least $100 if it were sterling would only have a value of about $10 if it is weighted sterling.

Have an item you want to know more about? We offer single item appraisals for $25. Get started by simply messaging us with a picture to see if it's a good candidate for a simple online appraisal or whether it's something we would need to see in person.

01/30/2026

Many times people have items they think are valuable simply because they are old, and it's disappointing to them when they find out the items are common and not currently performing well on the market. Today was a case of the opposite. . .our client's mother brought her a set of flatware that she "found in the basement" and asked if she wanted it. She had done some Google Lens searching and told her mother she thought it might be valuable, but her mother was convinced it was "nothing". We were very pleased to inform our client that she had a set of Wallace Rose Point pattern sterling silver flatware valued at nearly $6000!! If you have flatware or other items you're not sure about, we can help!

08/05/2025

It's not every day that we have the opportunity to appraise an item identical to one that has been featured on the Antiques Roadshow, but that's exactly what happened today! Watch the video below for more information on this 1868 engraving of the 13th Amendment by the Western Bank Note & Engraving Company of Chicago. An added bonus for the one we appraised was that it was housed in an original period frame!!

APPRAISER: It's an engraved copy of a signed souvenir edition of the 13th Amendment. So, in 1863, Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, which frees the slaves in the rebelling states. But there was always a worry that once those states reentered the union, they might try to slip slavery back...

05/14/2025

We've reached an exciting milestone in our journey. . .the completion of our first MILLION DOLLAR APPRAISAL!!! A church in the region that also has an onsite preschool was in need of an appraisal of all of their personal property in the building and on the grounds in order to update their insurance policy. The appraisal included pianos, sterling silver chalices, antique and modern furniture, office equipment, a library of religious and cultural books, a library of childrens books, artwork, a huge collection of both choral and orchestral music, and much more! The appraisal was done on a room by room basis, making insurance claims much simpler and more accurate if there is an area-specific loss. Whether you have a large building full of items or just a single item, and whether you need a formal report for tax, insurance, or other professional or legal purposes or you're just wanting to know the value to satisfy your own curiosity. . .let us help!!

02/24/2025

A client brought in these 2 volumes from 1735 and 1739, written in German, wanting to know what they were and their approximate value. After some assistance from Google for the translation needed, we discovered each book was a portion of the Bible. One volume contained the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The other was the end of the New Testament: James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1-2-3 John, Jude and Revelation. The books were both housed in their original bindings, likely vellum (calf skin) parchment over board and were in good condition for age. The current market value was estimated at $400-500 each.

10/20/2023

Our next event is just around the corner!! Find out how much your treasure is worth!!!

04/16/2022

Need a personal property appraisal in a hurry? We pride ourselves in providing our clients with a quick turnaround time, whether the appraisal be large or small. A recent client was selling her 18,000 sq. ft. home and had a potential buyer who wanted to buy it furnished. We traveled over 2 hours to her home, took photographs and notes, and in less than a week provided her with an appraised value of over $250,000 for the home's furnishing and decor, along with an item by item breakdown with photographs so adjustments could easily be made if there were items she decided not to include in the sale. Send us a message or give us a call about your appraisal needs today!

04/06/2022

Doing a spring cleanout, but have no idea what has value and what doesn't? We can help!! Maybe you just have a few items you have questions about, or maybe you want a "trained eye" to look at EVERYTHING before you donate or sell to ensure there aren't any items of more than negligible value. Send us a message or give us a call for more details about our services!

02/17/2022

Some of our recent appraisals have been in regards to insurance claims in which the insurance company and policy holder disagreed on the claim amount. In each case, it seems the policy holder had an actual cash value policy but was expecting a replacement value claim. Don't know the difference? Check out this great explanation provided by Progressive!

Understand the difference between replacement cost value and actual cash value (RCV vs. ACV) on home and auto insurance policies.

09/30/2021

A customer recently showed up for a walk-in appraisal with a few items that had belonged to her grandfather, and one of them turned out to be the super rare toaster in this advertisement. The Mecky Co. was formed in 1883, and was primarily a manufacturer of bicycles, tricycles, pedal cars, and baby buggies. The patent date on the customer's "Ledig" toaster from the Mecky Co. was 1906, but it appears that most of these unique multi-use toasters were produced in the 1920s. Our research only yielded about 10 sales records over the course of the past 15 years, reinforcing how uncommon the item is. The toaster, with all 3 trays and in good condition for age, was estimated to have a value of $1200-1500!

04/16/2021

Recent Appraisal: Our client was needing an appraisal of the entire contents of a recently acquired 60,000 sq. ft. office building. The contents included about 225 cubicles, 200 lateral file cabinets, and miscellaneous other office furniture and was valued at approximately $275,000. Whether it's a building full or a single item, if you have items you need to have valued, we can help! Call or message us to discuss your appraisal needs.

03/04/2021

Recent Appraisal: Antique Lebus Desk. This isn't a name that is immediately recognizable, so here is some interesting company history. Louis Lebus was a German Jewish refugee who moved to Hull, England around 1840 and worked as a cabinet maker. The family later moved to London, and his son Harris started out after school selling furniture out of a wheelbarrow, then established the Harris Lebus Company of cabinet making and upholstery in 1873. He was joined in business by his brother Sol in 1885, and both of their sons later joined the company as well. In the very early days of the company, the furniture was made by hand and was focused on high-end clientele, but quickly shifted to a factory setting where furniture was mass produced. By 1901, the factory outgrew the current space and a new factory was constructed which covered 14 acres. As crazy as that sounds, the company continued to grow until the factory eventually tripled in size! Lebus was well known as "the largest furniture factory in the world", and they had a wholesale market in multiple countries around the world. Their traveling salespeople in 1913 had a 400 pg catalog that retailers could order from. As a wholesaler, the company was perfectly fine with retailers marketing the goods as their own, which accounts for the fact that even though the company was one of the largest and most prolific furniture makers in history, they are not a "household name". During both WWI and WWII, the company produced war equipment for the government, something that Harris' son Herman was knighted for following WWII. The family partnership was converted to a public company in 1947, and continued operations until 1969. The current market value for a Lebus desk similar to the one pictured is estimated at $300-500.