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Firearms estate appraisal covering probate inventories, estate tax returns on Form 706, and division among heirs, at fair market value as of the date of death and prepared in accordance with USPAP. AppraiseItNow offers firearm estate appraisal services of inherited handguns, hunting rifles, shotguns, military arms, and antique collections, onsite at the property in all 50 states or online from photographs.
…made the process simple for us to have more than 35 firearms appraised
The process was smooth and hassle-free
…I am looking forward to utilizing AppraiseItNow for many years to come
DEFENSIBLE, USPAP-COMPLIANT FIREARMS APPRAISAL REPORTS — QUALIFIED FOR THE IRS, PROBATE COURTS, AND ESTATE ATTORNEYS.
Each of the three asks the same thing of the appraisal: what the estate's guns were worth on the date of death, with the market evidence behind it. We can prepare one report that serves all three.
01
Filed with the probate court
A signed, USPAP-compliant report of the estate's firearms at date-of-death value, for the inventory the executor files with the court.
02
Reported on IRS Form 706
Date-of-death fair market value for the Form 706 schedules, with the appraisal attached where Schedule F calls for one.
03
Dividing the guns among heirs
Fair market value supported by comparable sales, so an in-kind division or one heir's buyout of another's share rests on the same number for everyone.
An inherited collection is rarely one kind of gun. We appraise modern handguns, rifles, and shotguns alongside antique and military arms, and we account for the cases, holsters, and papers that travel with them.
Antique and collectible
Flintlock and percussion arms, handguns from Colt, Smith and Wesson, Luger, and other sought-after makers, and guns whose engraving sets them apart:
Hunting and sporting
Rifles in every action type, shotguns in side-by-side and over-under configurations, and the modern handguns kept at home:
Military and registered
Military arms with the papers that document their history, items registered under the National Firearms Act, and the period accessories that add value:
Our appraisers come to the property and document the collection where it is stored, so no one in the family has to handle, move, or ship a gun. When the guns photograph well, we can complete the appraisal online instead.
Our appraiser comes to the guns
An appraiser visits the house, works through the safe or gun room with the executor, and records the collection's markings, configuration, and finish in person, arranged around the family's schedule.
We appraise an estate's firearms onsite when:
When the guns photograph well
We work from photographs of the guns and their markings, plus whatever papers the estate has. After the quote we tell you which views we need.
We appraise an estate's firearms online when:
Either way the report is the same: written, signed, USPAP-compliant, and stating fair market value as of the date of death. The fee is quoted as a flat amount before we start.
What estate, probate, and estate tax clients say we are known for
Across 9 published estate, probate, and estate tax appraisal reviews, every one from a client who paid AppraiseItNow for an appraisal, the three things they raise most often are how quickly we answer, that they would hire us again, and how fast the finished report arrived.
My mother passed away in August 2023 and unfortunately, in the state of Ohio, motorhomes are not transferable on death and was going to have to go through probate court. After speaking with an attorney, I was informed I needed an appraisal. Due to my hectic work schedule and family schedule, I was looking for someone who could do this online, without needing an appointment. After a quick Google search I came across Joe at AppraiseItNow Inc., and instantly felt relief. A quick inquiry led to a few emails back and forth, a very reasonable cost to have the motorhome appraised and all the information needed to submit to get this taken care of. Joe was patient, worked with me as it was going to take a few weeks before I was able to supply the needed images/documents and payment, and less than a week later of submitting it I received the appraisal. His communication is next to none! He responds very quickly, is kind and extremely helpful. If I need anything in the future, I will not hesitate to reach out again! Thank you again! I will forever be in your debt!
Recreational Vehicle Appraisal for Probate
It is a pleasure to work with Joe and his team. They communicate every step along the way and made the process simple for us to have more than 35 firearms appraised. It was all done in a timely manner and the final report is easy to understand. I highly recommend their services.
Gun Appraisal for Probate
AppraiseItNow was amazing! My father passed with a large volume of artwork & I had no idea what it was worth. Their team was incredibly helpful and quick to respond with text and/or email to any questions as well as a status update along the way. Highly recommend!
Artwork Appraisal for Probate
I needed an appraisal for Probate Court so I could get the boat and motor title in my name. The AppraiseItNow team was great: quick turnaround, outstanding service. I would definitely use them again.
Boat Appraisal for Probate
I needed to have a car appraised, AppraiseItNow got it done quickly and was super responsive about my questions. Whole thing was done online, very easy!
Car Appraisal for Probate
Friendly, speedy service with fair value.
Auto Appraisal for Probate
A rough count, what the appraisal is for, and any deadline. No finished inventory needed.
We quote a flat fee for your approval before any work starts.
Our appraiser visits the property, or you send photos of the guns and their markings, with any papers.
We research comparable sales as of the date of death and write the report to USPAP.
The signed report arrives by email for the court, the tax return, or the family.
Standard Fee Range
$195 – $995
Standard range for our firearms appraisals based on past projects
Two report tiers. Your intended use sets which one you need.
from $195
USPAP-compliant report for probate and estate distribution
from $295
USPAP-compliant and IRS-qualified report for the estate tax return
Please note that the fees listed below are for informational purposes and are subject to change. Our team will review your materials and issue your quote before we get started.
1 item
$195 – $395
Single-item appraisal
10 items
$695 – $1200
Small collection pricing
50-100+ items
$1,600 – $3,500+
Discounted pricing for larger collections
We quote every firearms estate appraisal as a fixed fee before work begins, based on the number of guns, whether our appraiser visits the property, and what the report is for. The figures above are published ranges for information only; your quote follows a look at the collection.
Many inherited collections come with an insurance schedule listing the guns at replacement value, and a family may have heard a quick-sale figure as well. Neither is the number a probate inventory or Form 706 asks for. We appraise an estate's firearms at fair market value as of the date of death.
What it would cost to replace the firearm, and the accessories that go with it, with one of similar quality in the appropriate retail market inside a limited time. It carries the dealer markup and premiums a real replacement would carry, which is why it sits above the figure a tax filing uses.
Written on this basis for:
The price a willing buyer and a willing seller would agree on in the open market, with neither under compulsion to act and both reasonably informed. This is the standard the IRS works from, and the one an estate or a donation is measured against.
Written on this basis for:
What a rapid sale would actually net once commissions and fees come out, commonly 25 to 30 percent below the sale price itself. It answers what the collection converts to now, not what it is worth to a patient seller.
Written on this basis for:
Bars are illustrative and imply no figure. The spread between the three standards on a given collection is a finding of the assignment.
The same gun, valued on the same day by the same appraiser, carries a different number under each standard. A report that mixes them is not usable for any of the three, so we confirm the intended use before anything is valued and the report names and defines the standard that governs on its first page.
Condition & originality
An estate can hold an everyday deer rifle beside a gun worth many times more, and to the family the two can look alike. Guns of the same make and model can differ in value by large multiples, so the report states the condition and configuration each value was reached on.
These are the NRA Condition Standards the firearms market uses for modern guns; percentage of original finish is quoted alongside them, and antique and military arms carry their own conventions. They are here because a valuation is unreadable without them. Where a particular firearm falls comes from the condition documented for it, and assigning that grade is not a service we offer.
Manufacturer, the exact model designation, caliber, serial number, barrel length, action type, and finish, as documented in what you send. A misidentified model moves the value further than any other single error, which is why identification is settled first and everything downstream depends on it.
A serial number places a gun in a year and a factory configuration, and that is what narrows the comparable set from every gun of the model down to the ones that actually price it. Where the configuration is genuinely in question, a factory letter is the document that settles it.
Whether receiver, barrel, bolt, and the other numbered parts match is often the whole difference between two otherwise identical guns. The appraisal values the firearm in the configuration your documentation shows, and states which that was.
Proof marks, military acceptance stamps, factory letters, and ownership papers are what separate a documented war bring-back from the similar-looking rifle beside it. Where authenticity is the live question, the value works from the certificate or specialist opinion you hold, and the report says so.
Original bluing, case colour, or parkerizing against a later refinish is one of the sharpest distinctions in the collector market, and a refinish sharply reduces collector value even where it improves how the gun looks. The report names the finish the value was reached on.
Rifling, pitting, and whether the action functions are part of the condition a value is stated for rather than separate line items, so they belong in the description the appraisal works from.
Scope of the assignment
Condition grading and authentication are separate services with their own credentials, and neither is one we offer. What we do is value, and a value has to rest on a documented description: photographs, a grading certificate, a factory letter, a specialist opinion, or a prior appraisal. Send what you have, and the report states plainly what the conclusion rests on.
What we value from
Fair market value comes from what comparable firearms actually sold for: completed auction results, dealer transaction archives, and closed marketplace listings for the same make, model, caliber, barrel length, finish, and condition, then adjusted for condition and accessories. An asking price records what a seller hoped to get, and a collection valued off asking prices is over-insured or under-sold.
How we use the price guide
The Blue Book of Gun Values covers tens of thousands of models with condition-based pricing tables and is a reasonable place to start. Its figures can lag an active market, so we corroborate them against recent actual sales before a value is finalized rather than quoting the table as the answer.
IRS Form 706
An estate that files Form 706 reports its firearms at fair market value as of the date of death, on Schedule F with the rest of the household goods and collections. We prepare the appraisal that schedule rests on, in accordance with IRS requirements.
Did the decedent own any works of art, items, or any collections whose artistic or collectible value at date of death exceeded $3,000? If “Yes,” you must also complete line 4 and attach appraisals.
Real assignments, with what each one held, the standard of value it called for, and how the conclusion was supported.
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Owner & CEO
Joe founded AppraiseItNow to make a certified, USPAP-compliant appraisal as simple to order as anything else online. A former Bain & Company strategy consultant, Joe leads the entire team and specializes in strategy, growth, and the firm's tech capabilities.
Personal Property Appraiser
ISA Accredited Member with 30 years in the trade, from running estate sales and an auction gallery to appraising luxury apparel, furniture, artwork, antiques, and business assets, primarily for IRS tax filings.
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Third-generation auctioneer and CAGA Certified Appraiser with more than 20 years valuing machinery, equipment, vehicles, business assets, and estates for banks, attorneys, and trustees across the Carolinas.
Personal Property Appraiser
ISA Accredited Member specializing in Asian art, with a Master's from SOAS and a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art. Ashley chairs the ISA's Antiques, Furnishings, and Decorative Arts committee and appraises for charitable donation, insurance, and equitable distribution.
Client Success Manager
Manages each engagement from the first enquiry to the delivered report, and keeps you posted at every step along the way.
International Society of AppraisersAccredited Member
Certified Appraisers Guild of AmericaCertified Appraiser
The Appraisal FoundationAuthorized by Congress as the source of appraisal standardsNo. Our appraiser can come to the property and document the collection where it is stored, or we can work online from photographs, so nothing is moved or shipped either way. Tell us where the guns are kept when you request a quote, and we scope the visit around it.
You do not need to identify them before asking for a quote: a rough count and where the guns are kept are enough to start. The maker, model, caliber, and serial number are usually stamped on the gun, and our appraiser records them onsite or reads them from close-up photos.
Book an onsite visit: our appraiser documents the collection where it is stored, so no one in the family has to handle a gun. Until then, leave each gun as it is, since cleaning or polishing an old finish can lower its value.
Yes. We value the guns as of the date the estate needs, including a date of death months or years back, using market evidence from that date. If a gun has already left the estate, photographs and records from the time can still support a value, so send them with the request.
Tell us the deadline when you request a quote, and we confirm before you engage us whether we can meet it. Timing depends on the number of guns and how quickly the photographs and records arrive, which is why we ask about the deadline first.
Yes. We appraise the household contents, jewelry, coins, art, and vehicles in the same engagement, so the executor works with one appraiser and every value sits in one report. Our estate appraisal services cover everything an estate can hold.