We are a house museum in Palm Beach and frequently get phone calls such as: 
"I have a table just like the one in one of your bedrooms.  How much is 
that worth?"  We always answer the same way, by giving them two 
websites.  One is the American Society of Appraisers www.appraisers.org and 
the other is the Appraisers Association of America www.appraisersassoc.org 
.  These pages will give people listings either by specialty or geographic 
location.  In referring them to the website, we are not implying an 
allegiance or support of the services of any particular appraiser, which 
protects us as an institution.  It also saves us time and energy, and 
easily diverts calls from people whose stuff we do NOT want.  Another good 
site for the millions of phone calls we field from people wanting 
conservators is http://aic.stanford.edu/ .

As for discouraging private collectors--where would any of us be without 
them?  I guess if there is one thing I have learned, it's that you can't 
discourage anyone from doing anything, so why bother.

Micki


Micki Blakely
Archivist
Flagler Museum
One Whitehall Way
P.O. Box 969
Palm Beach, FL 33480
(561) 655 2833 x15
FAX (561) 655 2826

http://www.flaglermuseum.us

A National Historic Landmark
Accredited by the American Association of Museums 

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