Is it important to have my quilts appraised?

Most insurance policies require an appraisal to list an item as “scheduled” property. Without insurance, damage or loss to your quilt might not be covered by your insurance policy. Many insurance companies will only reimburse you for the cost of “bedcovering” – (that’s a blanket!). In addition to the damage a quilt or wearable art garment might sustain might sustain during its lifetime, these items have become the targets of theft and victims of natural disasters as witnessed by quilt owners in flood and fire areas lately. Many quilts have disappeared while being shipped to shows across the country. Many quilt and wearable art show organizers, gallery owners, shippers, and even some local quilt store owners are now requiring appraisals for quilts or wearable art on display that will meet their insurance requirements while the item is in their care.

 

If you are a quilt owner, collector, dealer, quilt maker, wearable art maker or dealer, one thing you should do is to seek an appraisal from a certified quilt appraiser.

 

What can I use this appraisal for?

• To establish a replacement value for insurance purposes

• To purchase a “Fine Arts Floater”

• To determine a value for donation, gift, or estate purposes for the IR

• To provide a value to a venue that requires insurance and/or appraisals

• To provide adequate coverage during shipping or while in transit

• To aid in determining Fair Market Value

• A meaningful addition to a quilt given as a gift

 

 What types of appraisals do you offer?

• Insurance Replacement Appraisal

• Fair Market Appraisal

• Tax Donation Appraisal

• In certain situations, damage appraisals are also performed

 

There are three types of written appraisals:

Insurance Appraisals determine what the replacement value of your quilt or quilted garment is. How much money would it take for you to replace your damaged or lost item with one of the same…”of like and kind”?  You have a 1920′s Double wedding ring quilt made of 9 1″ pieces in the arc, quilted very heavily with very small stitches, no staining or tears…How much money would you have to have to go out and find another quilt “just like that” or a close as you can get.  Maybe you have a new quilt, made by you or given to you (lucky you!). How much would it cost to commission a quilt of the same quality made by someone with the same skills?

 

The appraisal you receive for the insurance company will be a short simple form briefly describing the important features of the quilt. Remember that this is not documentation or condition report, but verification of what the quilt is, and should leave little doubt in the insurance adjuster’s mind as to the value for the lost or damaged piece.

 

Fair Market Appraisals are for market value, the dollar amount agreed upon between a willing and knowledgeable buyer and a willing and knowledgeable seller.  Fair market appraisal is an opinion of the appraiser based on what the appraiser knows to be current in the market of both new and antique items, auction, gallery and private sales (to the best of their ability) and is not a guarantee of a sales price.  This kind of appraisal is what you want if you are considering selling your quilt and want to know what it might be worth.

 

A Tax Donation Appraisal is used to satisfy the IRS as to the value of a quilt that is being donated for any reason, or to establish a value for a family or estate, often after a death.

 

What ever your reason for seeking an appraisal, remember that quilts have become the targets of theft and also victims of fires and floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.  Many quilts and quilted garments have disappeared while in route to quilt shows across the country.  Shippers may require a written appraisal to justify insurance coverage while your item is in their care and most quilt shows are required by the venue to acquire appraisals for the items they display to meet the venues insurance requirements.