Valuations/Appraisals

Appraisals and valuations are an opinion based on knowledge, experience, and recent selling prices for comparable items.  Opinions (and therefore values) can vary considerably, often 25% or more.  As such, stated values (for any item) should be considered an approximation, subject to fluctuations in the market.  Further, and perhaps more important, valuations are not an offer to purchase, nor should they be considered reflective of the amount you should necessarily expect to receive when selling the item.  Retail valuations, such as those provided by Virginia Toolworks,  are an estimation of the cost of replacement with a comparable item.  Stated another way, a retail valuation is the approximate retail cost of an item either identical or comparable in quality of materials, manufacturing, and condition.

Retail valuations provide the estimated value of a tool sold on the retail market (to collectors or end users).  If selling on the wholesale market to dealers or resellers, you can expect to receive approximately 25% to 30% of retail value in most cases.  Remember, dealers are in business to make money when they resell.  They can’t do that if paying full retail price.

Virginia Toolworks provides written valuations (estimated retail value) at a rate of $50 per hour with a one hour minimum.  This includes any research required as well as document preparation and delivery.  A large collection of 40 or 50 tools can easily take 6-8 to complete, more if the tools require extensive research to identify.

Valuations Rate – $50 per hour (one hour minimum)

Please click on the following link to see a Sample Retail Valuation.