An appraiser is a credentialed professional who estimates the fair market value of items before they go to auction. Appraisers work from condition, provenance, comparable sales, and current market demand to arrive at a number a seller can use for reserve setting, insurance, or estate purposes.
Auction houses sometimes employ in-house appraisers who provide pre-sale estimates as a service to consignors. Independent USPAP-certified appraisers (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) are the standard for legal contexts — estate settlements, divorce, IRS donations, insurance claims. Their written reports carry weight in court and with insurers in ways that an auctioneer’s casual estimate does not.
Appraisers typically specialize: fine art, antiques and collectibles, jewelry and watches, vehicles, real estate, machinery, livestock, or memorabilia. The credentials matter. The big three appraisal organizations — the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the International Society of Appraisers (ISA), and the Appraisers Association of America (AAA) — each maintain rosters of certified members searchable online. For tax-deductible donations over $5,000, the IRS specifically requires a “qualified appraiser” whose credentials meet a federal standard, and a written appraisal must be attached to the tax return.