To find what your antique is worth, identify it, grade its condition, match it to recent sold prices of close comparables, then pick the value you need.
This guide turns that order into a worksheet you can follow at home. It draws on the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s research guides, IRS guidance on valuation, an insurer’s guide to appraisals and a public auction results database, all read on 26 September 2026. No object was valued and no app or service was tested for it.
Why identification comes before price
A price only means something once you know exactly what the object is, because two pieces that look alike can differ in maker, material and date. The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s guide How Much Is Your Object Worth? opens with the warning that “It is hard to establish fixed values for antiques, artworks, and other collectible items”, and explains that “The amount asked or offered is determined by many factors, including the condition of the object, personal interests of both the seller and the purchaser, and trends in the market.”
Start with what you can check yourself: marks, labels and signatures, the material, how the piece was made, and its measurements. Read marks carefully. The museum’s page on signatures, monograms and markings cautions: “Be aware that not all names found on an object belong to the artist. For example, previous owners may have written their names on the back of an object.” Our guide to antique marks and signatures shows how to match a mark to a maker and a date range.
Family history is evidence too. The museum’s first steps guide asks “How long has the work belonged to you or your family? Check family records and interview relatives who might know something about the artwork.” Write down what you learn, with where it came from. If you only want a quick sense of whether a piece deserves this much effort, our five signs that an antique is worth money are a faster first filter.
Grade condition and originality honestly
Condition and originality move value as much as identity does, so record them before you compare prices. The IRS states in Publication 561 that “The physical condition and extent of restoration are both relevant in determining the valuation of art and antiques.” Its own example is an antique in damaged condition and lacking its original brasses, which it says “may be worth much less than a similar piece in excellent condition”.
Note chips, cracks, losses, replaced parts, refinishing and repairs, and photograph each one. Do this before you clean, polish or repair anything, because the extent of restoration is part of what you are trying to value; our guide to restoration versus conservation explains why that choice is hard to reverse. When you compare prices in the next step, compare your piece only with examples in similar condition.
Look up sold prices, not asking prices
The most useful evidence of value is what similar pieces actually sold for recently, not what sellers are asking. The IRS puts it this way: “The sales prices of properties similar to the donated property are often important in determining the FMV”, and the weight given to each sale depends on how similar the item sold was and when it sold. It also warns that price guides and dealers’ lists “are not always reliable indicators of FMV and should be supported by other evidence; for example, a dealer may sell an item for much less than is shown on a price list, particularly after the item has remained unsold for a long time”.
The Smithsonian guide gives the same first step for owners: “First, consult price guides to determine current sale and auction prices.” Auction archives make those results searchable online. LiveAuctioneers, an online auction marketplace, describes its auction price results database as “a free research tool for those who want to buy or sell”, and says “Auction results are updated daily with new hammer prices so you can always access recently sold to historical results dating back to 1999.” Search by maker, pattern or form, keep only close matches in similar condition, and note the date of each sale.
Read an auction result for what it is. A hammer price is not what the buyer paid: the buyer’s premium is “a charge in addition to the hammer price”, and “The winning bidder is required to pay both the hammer price and the percentage of that price called for by the buyer’s premium.” Nor is it what the seller received, because the auction house also charges the seller a commission. Record which figure you are looking at, and treat an unsold lot or an asking price as a hope, not a result.
A four-step value worksheet
The table below turns the steps into a worksheet. Work through each row for your object, and keep the notes: they are what an appraiser or buyer will ask for later.
| Step | What to record | Where to look | What can mislead |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify | Marks, maker, material, measurements, family history | The object itself, mark references, family records | A name on the object that belonged to a previous owner |
| 2. Grade condition | Damage, repairs, replaced parts, refinishing | Close photos in daylight | Comparing with examples in better condition |
| 3. Find sold prices | Three or more close matches, each with price, date and venue | Auction price archives and completed sales | Asking prices and dealer price lists |
| 4. Pick the value | Whether you need a selling price or an insurance figure | Your insurer, executor or buyer | Treating a replacement value as a selling price |
Decide which value you need
The number you end up with depends on the question you are answering, because a selling price and an insurance figure are different values. The IRS defines fair market value as “the price that property would sell for on the open market”, agreed between a willing buyer and a willing seller who both know the relevant facts. The insurer Chubb’s collector’s guide to appraisals explains that “Replacement Value is most often used for insurance on fine arts and collectibles”, and that because an item “would need to be replaced in a retail setting instead of in a secondary market such as an auction”, “replacement value is higher than fair market value”. The IRS adds that “Sentimental personal value has no effect on FMV.”
So a range built from sold comparables answers “what could I sell it for?”, while an insurer will usually want a replacement figure from an appraisal it accepts. Ask whoever will rely on the number which kind of value they need before you pay for one.
When an appraiser is worth paying for
Pay for an appraisal when someone else will rely on the number, when the object is rare or hard to compare, or when authenticity is in doubt. The Smithsonian guide explains that “Appraisers are trained specialists who work for a fee. They evaluate your piece and give you a written statement of its value”, and advises: “Always seek an appraiser with an expertise in the type of artwork you own.” Chubb notes that “There is no government regulation of appraisers”, so choose one through a professional association’s directory and ask for a written fee quote. In the United States, the IRS requires that “art and collectibles for which you claim a deduction of more than $5,000 must be supported by a qualified appraisal and a Form 8283”. Our comparison of online and in-person appraisal covers published fees and turnaround, and our guide to how appraisers determine antique value shows what a written report contains.
A photo identification app can speed up the first step. This site publishes one, Antique Identifier - Antiqly, which runs on iPhone and Android and is free to download with in-app purchases on the App Store and on Google Play, with no sign-up needed. We did not test it against objects of known value for this article, so treat its answer as a lead to check against sold prices. Our article on whether a free antique valuation app actually works explains what such apps can and cannot tell you.
What to do with your antique now
Work through these three steps, and stop when the answer is good enough for what you need.
- Pin down what it is. Photograph the whole piece and every mark in daylight, measure it, and write down its condition and any family history.
- Build a sold-price range. Find at least three recent sales of close matches in similar condition, and note whether each figure is a hammer price or includes the buyer’s premium.
- Match the value to the purpose. Use that range for a sale decision; if an insurer, estate or tax return will rely on the figure, book a specialist appraiser in your object’s category.
Method and limits. This article draws on the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s research guides, IRS Publication 561, Chubb’s collector’s guide to appraisals, the LiveAuctioneers price results page, a reference entry on buyer’s premiums and the two app store listings linked above, all read on 26 September 2026. No object was valued and no app, archive or appraisal service was tested; tax rules described are United States rules, and any range you build from past sales is an estimate, not an offer.
