We appraise a wide range of personal property, including regular household items; however the following are some of the most common types of items our clients have us appraise:

Antique Furniture
Other Antiques
Art and Photographs
Asian Art
Automobiles
Books
Clothing
Dolls
Historical Items
Instruments
Jewelry
Memorabilia
Rugs and Tapestries
Silver
 

No. We appraise everything in the house but not the house itself. If you are looking for a valuation of a home, please search for a “real estate appraiser”.

Absolutely! With a reputation for exceptional honesty, integrity, and professionalism among their peers, Bob and Larry are proud members of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America (CAGA). Their appraisals are meticulously prepared in accordance with the Uniform Standards for Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and carry the weight of being admissible in court.

We will also work with you to provide the level of detail specifically required by your insurance company. In addition to serving clients insured by many different carriers, we have first-hand experience dealing with our own claim process when a car drove through our house and destroyed thousands of dollars of antiques!

Yes, although we are based in Tucson, Arizona and regularly serve clients in Tucson and the Phoenix Metropolitan area, we will serve clients throughout the Southwest. Currently though, about 1/3 of our clients are located outside the Tucson and Phoenix-area, all-over southern Arizona, Sedona, Yuma, Prescott, Kingman, and all over New Mexico. Clients choose us because we provide a comprehensive range of services rarely found regionally. This includes formal and informal appraisals, guidance on where and how to sell items, and deep expertise across many types of antiques and collectibles, including Asian art.

Our rates are listed here.

Our preferred method of payment is Venmo; however we also accept PayPal and most major credit card. For local clients we can also accept personal checks. The following is a link to our Venmo .

While real estate appraisals determine the value of land and buildings for purposes like mortgages, sales, and estate planning, personal property appraisals assess assets such as furniture, art, and vehicles, typically for insurance, tax deductions, and estate planning. As a personal property appraiser, Bear & Raven appraises everything in the home, just not the home itself.

A verbal appraisal provides a time-efficient, immediate assessment, allowing for real-time feedback and direct addressing of questions without the formalities and costs of a written report. In contrast, a written appraisal is a formal, detailed document that estimates an asset’s current market (or insurance) value, offering a thoroughly supported opinion of value based on market conditions and comparable assets. These formal reports are often used in legal contexts, requiring findings to be firmly supported by current market data.

In order to decide which form of appraisal is most appropriate, you will need to consider why you are looking for an appraisal. Please feel free to contact us to discuss your needs with us so we can make recommendations on the level of detail that is appropriate to meet those needs.

We do not recommend that you go to an Antique Dealer for appraisals, as they will often try to give you the lowest price they can get away with. Don’t forget antique stores make their profit through the difference in what they buy an item for and sell it for. You certainly can sell items to them, but don’t rely on them for unbiased valuations. 

You could request an appraisal from an Auction house that has strong experience with the sorts of items you’re looking to have appraised. There are, however, very few full-service auction houses remaining in Arizonaand so you will likely need to provide photos or even bring the items to them. Furthermore, auction houses generally provide appraisals on only a limited number of items with the tacit understanding that there’s a good chance that
you will consign the items with them. If you do not plan to sell the items, few auction houses will be willing to invest the large amounts of time needed to
closely inspect the items and research what comparable items have achieved recently. On the other hand, if you have many higher end items to evaluate and potentially consign with them, you are likely to receive more attention. Another limitation is that most auction houses will only provide you with an estimate of what your items might sell for at auction; this value can be significantly less than the other valuation methods, such as Fair Market Value and Insurance Value. 

Considering that you have so many items, you may want to call in an antique appraising specialist, such as Bear & Raven Appraisal Services. Regardless of who you select though, make sure that you check their reputation, and make it clear that you don’t plan to sell them the items. Doing so can create a significant conflict of interest since an appraiser would have an incentive to provide a low estimate. We believe that purchasing items directly from clients that they have appraised is unethical and it runs contrary to the standards of many appraiser certification agencies, including the Certified Appraisers Guild of America (CAGA) to which we belong.  

Since we have a two-hour minimum for onsite inspections, it might not make sense to have us visit in person if you only have a couple of items. We also offer a virtual appraisal for $40 per hour, with a one hour minimum, for items where Bob feels he can provide an accurate valuation without inspecting the item (s) in person. In such cases, we can ask you to take photos and/or video of the item (s) and send them to us. Please see the question below “How do I do a virtual appraisal” for details on what Bob will need.  

In certain circumstances we can make arrangements for you to bring the item(s) by our home office located in Midtown, Tucson. Please contact us to make an appointment. 

For items where Bob feels he can provide an accurate valuation without inspecting the item (s) in person, you can request a virtual/online appraisal. In order to facilitate a remote appraisal, we ask you to send us either photos or video of the items. The images should meet the following criteria:

• Multiple perspectives
• Makers marks and hallmarks, when available
• Are in sharp focus with good lighting
• If there are many items, please make a list and make it easy for us to identify which photo belongs to which item.
• Depending on the item, Bob might have specific requests

We will ask you to make payment for virtual appraisals prior to starting the appraisal. Please contact us for details of where to forward the photos, as well as how to make payment. 

Due to the difficulty assessing the authenticity and age of certain items, we normally will require inspecting the following items in person: Chinese ceramics, some antique furniture, fine art, photographs, jewelry, collections, items with unique or unusual characteristics, and high-value items. In such cases, we recommend that you have us come to your location or you make arrangements to meet Bob in his home office located in midtown Tucson, AZ.

Our rates are listed here.

For items where Bob feels he can provide an accurate valuation without inpecting the item (s) in person, you can request a virtual/online appraisal. In order to facilitate a remote appraisal, we ask for you to send us either photos or video of the items. The images should meet the following criteria:

• Multiple perspectives
• Makers marks and hallmarks, when available
• Are in sharp focus with good lighting
• If there are many items, please make a list and make it easy for us to identify which photo belongs to which item.
• Depending on the item, Bob might have specific requests

We will ask you to make payment for virtual appraisals prior to starting the appraisal. Please contact us for details of where to forward the photos, as well as how to make payment. 

Due to the difficulty assessing the authenticity and age of certain items, we normally will require inspecting the following items in person: Chinese ceramics, some antique furniture, fine art, photographs, jewelry, collections, items with unique or unusual characteristics, and high-value items. In such cases, we recommend that you have us come to your location or you make arrangements to meet Bob in his home office located in midtown, Tucson, AZ.