How do I get a knife collection appraised?

[Quiet]

I hope those items will be a comfort to you if you're ever in need of cash.

Given that both my wife and I are professionals with extensive retirement savings, I am comfortable in the understanding that I won't ever have to sell family heirlooms to pay the bills. No judgement of anyone here if that's the case. More than anything else, this is my own personal experience-bias coming to the fore. One of my uncles was into gold coin collecting, and he had an extensive collection of rare coins worth tens of thousands. This was pretty much his only hobby. When he passed away, my idiot nephew had already dispersed the collection to multiple pawn shops for barely a fraction of the collection's worth before they even had the funeral. Then the moron spent it all on weed. What a disgrace.

So hey, maybe OP will be using the money to put his children though college or something else that honors his father's memory.

 

[singularity35]

Given that both my wife and I are professionals with extensive retirement savings, I am comfortable in the understanding that I won't ever have to sell family heirlooms to pay the bills. No judgement of anyone here if that's the case. More than anything else, this is my own personal experience-bias coming to the fore. One of my uncles was into gold coin collecting, and he had an extensive collection of rare coins worth tens of thousands. This was pretty much his only hobby. When he passed away, my idiot nephew had already dispersed the collection to multiple pawn shops for barely a fraction of the collection's worth before they even had the funeral. Then the moron spent it all on weed. What a disgrace.

So hey, maybe OP will be using the money to put his children though college or something else that honors his father's memory.

I just knew you'd be back with a post about how financially secure you are. I'm just glad that you have have good fortune and will continue to have good fortune. Just don't be so judgmental on other folks who aren't as lucky as you. Also I'm sure you've earned your good fortune with hard work(No sarcasm intended, just avoiding another reply to that effect).

 

[zzyzzogeton]

Ah yes, time to turn a family member's years of collecting passion into some cold hard cash, amirite?

Appraisals are also necessary for insurance purposes. Can't insure a thing without having a knowledge of the current value. Just because someone wants an item appraised does not mean one intends to sell the item(s).

 

[Quiet]

I just knew you'd be back with a post about how financially secure you are. I'm just glad that you have have good fortune and will continue to have good fortune. Just don't be so judgmental on other folks who aren't as lucky as you. Also I'm sure you've earned your good fortune with hard work(No sarcasm intended, just avoiding another reply to that effect).

I see, so you're free to make inferences* concerning my financial status, but I'm not allowed to reply, without you attempting to act as though I'm playing into some sort of verbal trap?

Sure thing, man.



*Sorry, I mean baseless assumptions

 

[Quiet]

Appraisals are also necessary for insurance purposes. Can't insure a thing without having a knowledge of the current value. Just because someone wants an item appraised does not mean one intends to sell the item(s).

A fair point. :thumbup:

 

[singularity35]

I see, so you're free to make inferences* concerning my financial status, but I'm not allowed to reply, without you attempting to act as though I'm playing into some sort of verbal trap?

Sure thing, man.



*Sorry, I mean baseless assumptions

Oh wrong choice of words, apologies. I meant pre-emption.

You see, it's always the financially secure who attach more sentimental value to lifeless objects. I guess it's a fair conclusion to make that someone who will never sell items for their sentimental value is not in dire need of money.

 

[Quiet]

Oh wrong choice of words, apologies. I meant pre-emption.

Sure thing, guy.

 

[RedLynx]

Given that both my wife and I are professionals with extensive retirement savings, I am comfortable in the understanding that I won't ever have to sell family heirlooms to pay the bills. No judgement of anyone here if that's the case. More than anything else, this is my own personal experience-bias coming to the fore. One of my uncles was into gold coin collecting, and he had an extensive collection of rare coins worth tens of thousands. This was pretty much his only hobby. When he passed away, my idiot nephew had already dispersed the collection to multiple pawn shops for barely a fraction of the collection's worth before they even had the funeral. Then the moron spent it all on weed. What a disgrace.

So hey, maybe OP will be using the money to put his children though college or something else that honors his father's memory.

That sucks man. I wish there had been a stipulation in there that it could only be sold off after an official appraisal. At least then he would have gotten his money's worth... be it weed or whatever else I guess. :/ Sorry to hear that.

 

[singularity35]

G...this is my own personal experience-bias coming to the fore. One of my uncles was into gold coin collecting, and he had an extensive collection of rare coins worth tens of thousands. This was pretty much his only hobby. When he passed away, my idiot nephew had already dispersed the collection to multiple pawn shops for barely a fraction of the collection's worth before they even had the funeral. Then the moron spent it all on weed. What a disgrace.

So hey, maybe OP will be using the money to put his children though college or something else that honors his father's memory.

My mother, her mother, and their family(my grandfather was deceased by the time) survived WW2 with my grandmother's inherited jewelry. The occupation forces, forced them out of their house and their farm and they had to evacuate(my mother and her sisters were reputedly lookers) to the boondocks and they traded jewelry for food for 3 years until the liberation forces came.

So yes, it's also our experience that heirlooms can be survival items. Not just idiot nephews sell items with sentimental value.

 

[Quiet]

That sucks man. I wish there had been a stipulation in there that it could only be sold off after an official appraisal. At least then he would have gotten his money's worth... be it weed or whatever else I guess. :/ Sorry to hear that.

Agreed. These days, the kid's a deadbeat who lives with my aunt. 35 year old, working part time at the meat counter at a grocery store, because the guy doesn't have any other life skills.

My mother, her mother, and their family(my grandfather was deceased by the time) survived WW2 with my grandmother's inherited jewelry. The occupation forces, forced them out of their house and their farm and they had to evacuate(my mother and her sisters were reputedly lookers) to the boondocks and they traded jewelry for food for 3 years until the liberation forces came.

So yes, it's also our experience that heirlooms can be survival items. Not just idiot nephews sell items with sentimental value.

Please see where I said I wasn't judging anyone (a statement I'm pretty sure you've dismissed). If you need to sell family heirlooms in order to make the bills, I understand being in that spot. I'm not rich, and I also have struggled. So, my comments weren't at ALL meant in a "Guy must be looking to sell because he's broke!" The fact is, I'm a sentimentalist, in a world where all too many people aren't these days. Where I see something that someone may have spent a significant time, care, and energy on, I understand that others only see dollar signs. My father and I have spent countless hours discussing, fondling, using, and sharpening both his knives and mine. We've spent plenty of time at the range also. All of his favorite things will be mine one day, and I couldn't imagine ever selling them.

I understand however, that others may not see things that way. But hey, maybe the OP is merely having the collection appraised for its insurance value. That way, he can sit down sometime and run his hands over things his father enjoyed and remember the good times they'd had.

 

[DosOne]

Yea he had alot of everything, and he was adamant about collecting, Iknow there are a ton of case and alot of them are rare in all the brands he had. He has like full collection runs. To me they all look the same, im just not in into slipjoints. One reason I became gold was to start slowly listing them on here for my grandma so she can enjoy the goldmine she is sitting on (after the family all get a few that they wanted, there are pleanty to go around). just a handful I could remember (one being llike a scrimshaw carving of moby dick and a ship, forget the brand) saw on the bay for like 260. But once my dad brings them home I can start figuring out what exctally is there. I dont want to hang out in the traditional forum but I'm goig to have to.
He collected everything and knives are the least of my worries, hes also got a vast marble collection as well as stamps with marbles that are worth hundreds that look like junk to me. Its really overwhelming so the family pretends there not there because nobody wants to deal with any of it.

 

[RedLynx]

Yea he had alot of everything, and he was adamant about collecting, Iknow there are a ton of case and alot of them are rare in all the brands he had. He has like full collection runs. To me they all look the same, im just not in into slipjoints. One reason I became gold was to start slowly listing them on here for my grandma so she can enjoy the goldmine she is sitting on (after the family all get a few that they wanted, there are pleanty to go around). just a handful I could remember (one being llike a scrimshaw carving of moby dick and a ship, forget the brand) saw on the bay for like 260. But once my dad brings them home I can start figuring out what exctally is there. I dont want to hang out in the traditional forum but I'm goig to have to.
He collected everything and knives are the least of my worries, hes also got a vast marble collection as well as stamps with marbles that are worth hundreds that look like junk to me. Its really overwhelming so the family pretends there not there because nobody wants to deal with any of it.

That's very interesting. Like you I have mostly modern folders and that's mostly what I use, but I've come to appreciate the aesthetic appeal of traditionals a bit more as well. I hope some people in your family can help your grandma out (if she needs or wants some of the cash) because she likely can't handle that all on her own. I am sure it is daunting but I hope if she needs some extra cushion you guys can help her out with sorting and appraising. But I also hope she can hold on to the bulk of it, and the memories. Best of luck, really.

Our elders are very important people in our lives, it's up to us to keep a look out for them just like they did for us. Congrats on your grandfather's collection and again, best of luck whatever happens.