Monetary Appraisal of Archival Material

Archival appraisal of historic material is different than monetary appraisal of historic material, but the two are often confused. Archivists define "appraisal" as determining the enduring value of material within a combination of historical, legal, political, and other types of usefulness to people, whereas in the commercial setting, "appraisal" means assigning a fair market value or auction value to material. Our section is dedicated to discussing only the first type of appraisal, and most archivists are prohibited by ethics and organizational policy from assigning any monetary value to material in their care. 

If you have interest in or need of monetary appraisal of historic materials, we recommend contacting the three major appraisal organizations: 

Appraisers Association of America

International Society of Appraisers

American Society of Appraisers