Appraisals

We provide professional written appraisals of musical instruments to meet a variety of needs.

  • Fair market value to sell an instrument
  • Insurance replacement valuation
  • Estate evaluations
  • Legal proceedings
  • Tax credits for donations
  • Any other situation that requires a professional determination of value
  • Our appraisals are recognized by all major insurance carriers. We recommend Clarion Insurance for professional musical instrument insurance
  • Here’s an example of one of our appraisals

EASIEST METHOD: Email Appraisal – You send us information via email and we send you back a formal appraisal in .pdf form via email, and/or copies by physical mail. The more detailed you are, the more effective your appraisal will be. We will respond within 48 hours on average.

To arrange an email appraisal please email us the following information:

  • The serial number, age, model, and brand name of the instrument. If you don’t know all of this information, please provide as much as possible.
  • If the instrument includes bocals, include the maker’s name, the models, and the type of metal if not silver.
  • Describe special features of the instrument: extra keys, inscriptions, damage, etc.
  • Tell us the brand name of the case and case cover.
  • We require at least five clear, focused photos of the instrument which you can send via email. Please limit photo sizes to under 5 MBs each. We will adjust, resize, crop, and finish the photos – just make them as clear and focused as possible. Lay the instrument on a flat white sheet if possible. We cannot use blurry, or unclear photos.
    • Photo 1: The instrument in its case, without the case cover. Center the instrument and include the entire case from side to side and top to bottom in the photo. Leave extra room outside the case
    • Photo 2: The brand name and any brand markings
    • Photo 3: The serial number
    • Photo 4: The front of the instrument fully assembled
    • Photo 5: The back of the instrument fully assembled
    • Additional photos are welcome and appreciated

What Does An Email Appraisal Cost?

The cost is $85.00 per instrument. When the appraisal is completed, we will email you an invoice. The invoice will come through PayPal and can be paid using any major credit card or PayPal. You don’t need to be a PayPal member to use this method. If you need further assistance with this, please call us at (603) 356-9890.

Each appraisal includes an emailed .pdf copy of the appraisal in digital form. We retain the digital form indefinitely if you ever need to have us resend it. By request we will send two physical copies of the appraisal by regular mail at no additional cost. Please provide a mailing address if you choose this added option.

In-Person Appraisal

This is when you bring your instrument(s) to our shop, or have our appraiser visit you at your location. Generally, appraisals can be completed with 72 hours of the visit. Click to email us or call us at (603) 356-9890 and either set up an appointment to come in, or request that we visit you. Visits are ordinarily made only when many instruments are being appraised at one time, and will incur travel expenses if over 30 miles from our location in the Mount Washington Valley area of New Hampshire.

What Does An In-Person Appraisal Cost?

The cost is $85.00 per instrument. Each appraisal includes an emailed .pdf copy of the appraisal in digital form. We retain the digital form indefinitely if you ever need to have us resend it. By request we will provide two physical copies of the appraisal at no additional cost.