Why Can’t I Sell Items for the Price They Were Appraised For?
If you’ve ever tried to sell an item that was appraised years ago, you might be wondering why you can’t sell it for the appraised value. There are three major reasons for this discrepancy.
Appraisal vs. Retail Value
The most important thing to understand is that many appraisals are done for retail replacement or insurance value, not resale value. This means that if your item were lost or damaged, the appraised value represents what it would cost you to replace it at full retail price. However, when you’re trying to sell the item, you’re not selling it for the full retail price—it will almost always sell for significantly less. So, while the appraisal helps you recover the maximum possible value in case of loss, it doesn’t reflect what you can realistically sell the item for.
Shifting Trends in Collectibles
Another reason you may struggle to sell an item for its appraised value is due to changing tastes and trends over time. A prime example of this can be seen with collectibles like Lladro figurines. In the 1980s and 90s, these pieces were highly sought after. Many people collected them, and they were appraised at high values—sometimes as much as $1,000. However, today’s generation is much less interested in such items. Young people don’t want to dust or display delicate, breakable figurines, and as a result, these collectibles have drastically decreased in value. A Lladro that was once appraised at $1,000 may now only fetch $50 on eBay.
Changes in Laws and Regulations
A third reason is related to changing laws. Some items that were appraised decades ago can no longer be legally sold due to new regulations. Take, for instance, a tortoiseshell tea caddy. In the 1980s or 90s, this rare and beautiful piece might have been appraised at $1,000 or more. But today, due to changes in wildlife protection laws, items made from tortoiseshell are now illegal to sell, no matter how rare or valuable they once were. In this case, the law has made it impossible to sell the item, regardless of its appraised value. Items made of ivory also fall into the illegal to sell category.
Conclusion
If you’re finding it difficult to sell items for their appraised values, these three reasons—appraisal types, changing market trends, and evolving laws—likely explain why. The value assigned during an appraisal is not always reflective of what the market will bear when it comes time to sell.
