The following discussion is not about fine art photographers, their negatives or prints. Below addresses the typical historical collection of a small town. To complete an appraisal an appraiser has 3 approaches to valuation. Market Data (sales of comparable material), Income (what you would make if you leased stuff, e.g., antique furniture to a movie company) and the Cost approach. The Cost approach allows for cost of materials in a reproduction situation. I have used the cost approach in large archival appraisals of photographic collections that were NOT of the TITANIC or John W. Booth shooting Lincoln or other photos of great (sadly) moments in time. Only photos of widely known historical figures or events have value even as prints. Negatives (unless pristine glass plates) have very little value. When have you seen a 35mm negative collection sold? It is very hard to value archival collections. For any appraiser you hire it is best to call the IRS and see what they will allow. Joe Bothwell in Washington DC can be reached at 202-435-5611. It is complicated. Joe usually asks me about how many museums lately have purchased large archival collections. Since this info. is usually confidential, it is very hard to get good data on which to base a qualified appraisal. Sara Conklin, ISA CAPP Certified Appraiser and Rent-a-Registrar 800-464-4208 ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).