Asheford Institute Of Antiques - Antique & Appraisal Home Study Course
  • Home
  • Free Book
  • About The School
    • Our Objectives & Faculty
  • Course Prospectus
    • Course Outline
    • taking the e-Course
    • 15 Teaching Aids
  • Become An Appraiser
    • USPAP Testing & PACC
    • AIA Appraisers - National Columnists
    • Articles From The Founder
  • Start An Antiques & Vintage Business
    • FAQ's About The Course
    • 2022 Survey Results
    • Our Top Web Picks
  • Conduct Estate Sales
    • Student Testimonials
    • Articles About Asheford
  • Course Tuition
    • Our Pledge To You
    • Asheford News-Ticker Headlines
  • Course Enrollment
    • International Students
  • Student News
    • Student Essays
  • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy & TOU
  • 2022s Top Antique And Vintage Trends
  • Home
  • Free Book
  • About The School
    • Our Objectives & Faculty
  • Course Prospectus
    • Course Outline
    • taking the e-Course
    • 15 Teaching Aids
  • Become An Appraiser
    • USPAP Testing & PACC
    • AIA Appraisers - National Columnists
    • Articles From The Founder
  • Start An Antiques & Vintage Business
    • FAQ's About The Course
    • 2022 Survey Results
    • Our Top Web Picks
  • Conduct Estate Sales
    • Student Testimonials
    • Articles About Asheford
  • Course Tuition
    • Our Pledge To You
    • Asheford News-Ticker Headlines
  • Course Enrollment
    • International Students
  • Student News
    • Student Essays
  • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy & TOU
  • 2022s Top Antique And Vintage Trends

Estate Sale Qualifications..?

4/9/2017

 
PictureHaving The Proper Credentials
​Florida - Not that many years ago, there were very few people conducting estate sales in North America. For the most part, estate sales (or tag-sales, as they're commonly referred to in the UK), had almost always been the domain of the English and Europeans. A common practice of disposing of one's finer goods and chattels when an auctioneer either wasn't required, or one didn't have the requisite volume of goods to necessitate the auctioneer's services.

Fast-forward a decade or so, and today estate sale agents and representatives have literally become the go-to service for many aging North Americans wishing to downsize and liquidate their personal property collection. However, in the race to one-up the liquidation offerings provided by garage sales, and smaller auction companies, many estate sale agents and companies have become trapped in a dilemma of their own making.

As more and more baby-boomers seek the services of estate sale agents, their requirements for professional appraisal credentials from these agents has also risen, making the days of operating an estate sale business with little or no decorative arts knowledge, somewhat problematic in today's marketplace. Nancy Johnston, an Asheford graduate who operates an estate sale services business in Raleigh, North Carolina, summed it up best by saying, "Fifteen years ago when I started out, no one asked me about my appraisal qualifications when I advertised estate sale services - nobody cared - today, that's all they ask me about."

For many, the main shift of focus in this industry, from glorified garage-sale to professional service, has been the change in the quality of goods being presented. "Most of the baby boomers who contact me today," said Johnston, "want me to prove that I can evaluate their antiques, collectibles and vintage items correctly... that's their first requirement before they even consider hiring me."

Nickolas Brown, another estate sale agent from the bay area in San Francisco, echoed Ms. Johnston's sentiment, and said that he'd watched people come and go in recent years as many tried to jump on the estate sale bandwagon without any formal training in the decorative arts or appraisal field. "If I didn't already have the knowledge of antiques and collectibles from my family antiques business, I'd be out of the estate sale business," said Brown. "Clients now want credentials - they want to see some kind of professional certification before I even walk in the door... it's all just part of the changing landscape," quipped Brown.

Many within the estate sale liquidation business recognize the need for change. "There's a huge divide," said Sally Walker, a certified appraiser who represents a number of estate sale companies in the northeast. "I get a lot of my business from liquidators who are simply over their head when it comes to providing accurate evaluations - but they still won't turn down the job." Walker went on to say that even though she's glad to be of service, she still thinks there needs to be some form of standardization in the industry when it comes to evaluation techniques and procedures.

While there is no specific formal qualification standard on the horizon just yet for estate sale liquidators, most in the industry feel that the personal-property appraisal designation issued by professional societies, and internationally recognized schools such as Asheford, would be more than sufficient to cover the knowledge base required by those in the estate sale business. However, as Ms. Walker pointed out, "Showing them the way is one thing - getting them to sign onto a regulatory code of professional conduct is another..."

- AIA Staff Writers


Picture
*NOTE: For those looking for more information on why product knowledge and appraising credentials are so important in today's estate sale marketplace, we recommend that individuals visit the Institute's page on Conducting Estate Sales as an Asheford graduate, in order to fully understand the benefits behind professional-level credentialing within this field of endeavor.


Comments are closed.

    AIA Staff

    We're providing our students and reader's with the latest breaking news on events and happenings that we think might be of interest to both collectors and dealers alike. Including changes within the world of antiques, vintage, collectibles and appraising that might just have an effect on your bottom line. We're also interested in hearing from you - so if you've got a great newsworthy story, let us know, and you just might find it here!

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Legal Disclaimer: Extraneous opinions, statements and comments made by individuals represented within these posts do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute. The publication naming of specific business entities, organizations, and concerns, contained herein, in no way represents an endorsement or recommendation of services or products by the Institute. Publicly identifiable information contained herein (including, but not limited to contact information), has been intentionally limited where possible, due to privacy and legal concerns related to the digital dissemination of information through online means. All views expressed herein are those of their respective owners. The Institute is in no way responsible, financially or otherwise, for the accuracy or validity of statements contained within published posts from sources that originate and appear outside of the written and expressed views of those submitted by the Institute.

Free Prospectus Book

Picture
To receive your free hard-copy Course Prospectus Book about the Asheford Program (or to ask us a question), simply click on the
link below:
​ FREE BOOK

Social Media:

>>  Facebook
>>  ​Instagram
>>  Twitter

To Contact Us

Picture
Admissions Office & Information Hotline
Toll Free: 877-444-4508
Fax 705-645-2380
Web Page Form: Contact Us
E
mail: info@asheford.com

US Offices:
Asheford Institute of Antiques
981 Highway 98 E. Ste. 3, Dept. 275
Destin, FL 32541-2525

Canadian Offices:
Asheford Institute of Antiques
Ste. 313
200 Manitoba Street
Bracebridge, ON P1L 2E2
T. 705-645-5589

Our Friends & Awards

Picture
"International Antiques & Arts Society"
Member & Award Winner

Picture
"Antiques & Collectibles National Association"

Picture
"Association Of Restorers"

Home  |  Privacy Policy & TOU  |  Contact Us  
Copyright© 1994-2023 Asheford.com. All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • Free Book
  • About The School
    • Our Objectives & Faculty
  • Course Prospectus
    • Course Outline
    • taking the e-Course
    • 15 Teaching Aids
  • Become An Appraiser
    • USPAP Testing & PACC
    • AIA Appraisers - National Columnists
    • Articles From The Founder
  • Start An Antiques & Vintage Business
    • FAQ's About The Course
    • 2022 Survey Results
    • Our Top Web Picks
  • Conduct Estate Sales
    • Student Testimonials
    • Articles About Asheford
  • Course Tuition
    • Our Pledge To You
    • Asheford News-Ticker Headlines
  • Course Enrollment
    • International Students
  • Student News
    • Student Essays
  • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy & TOU
  • 2022s Top Antique And Vintage Trends