Our Deed of Gift form does have a line about Museum staff not being able to appraise donated objects, and I find myself explaining this policy many times a year to members of the community I often get asked what museum staff should tell potential donors who request an appraisal. One response that seems to do the trick is that the Internal Revenue Service looks askance at appraisals performed by the donee, because the donee has a clear self-interest in inflating the value -- that is, the higher the value of the gift, the higher the tax deduction for the giver, and thus the more likely that the donor will actually make the proposed gift. This often comes as a surprise to donors, who usually think that a museum appraisal will carry more weight with the tax man, rather than less. Also, of course, U.S. museums are positively forbidden from performing appraisals of gifts worth more than $5,000. Andy Finch AAM Government Affairs [log in to unmask] > >