If you sent us a request between 28 July and 5 August, it did not reach us. A fault on our form stopped some messages from coming through. Please call (301) 820-7664 or fill the form again. We're sorry for the inconvenience.
Personal property appraisals in West Virginia for donations, estate tax, divorce, and probate, prepared in accordance with USPAP and IRS requirements. AppraiseItNow appraises antiques, jewelry, collectibles, fine art, and household contents across West Virginia, including Charleston, Huntington, and Morgantown.
DEFENSIBLE, USPAP-COMPLIANT PERSONAL PROPERTY APPRAISAL REPORTS — QUALIFIED FOR THE IRS, WEST VIRGINIA COURTS, LENDERS, INSURERS, AND MORE.
West Virginia's economy spans natural resource industries, manufacturing, and agriculture, so the work frequently includes business equipment, farm machinery, and household goods accumulated over generations. Each asset below links to the appraisers who cover it nationwide, West Virginia included.
01
02
04
05
06
.jpeg)
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 standardsAppraiseItNow appraises household contents, antiques, jewelry, firearms, coins and collections in West Virginia for estate appraisements, charitable gifts, equitable distribution, bankruptcy schedules and insurance. Most households are handled online from photographs and records, with an inspection arranged where the size or the character of a holding earns one. The intended use is settled first, because it is the use and not the object that fixes which market a value must be drawn from, and a file that skips that step tends to produce a number nobody can defend later.
Estate appraisements
An appraisement asks what property was worth on one particular day, not what it would fetch at a sale next month. Each category is researched against the market it trades in, and the file says which results carried the conclusion.
Charitable gifts
A deduction turns on what the goods would actually bring between two parties under no pressure to act, which for ordinary furnishings sits a long way under the original cost. A sizeable gift is grouped into categories, and the handful of pieces carrying real money are separated out and researched on their own.
Divorce and insurance
Equitable distribution asks what property would sell for. A coverage schedule asks what replacing it would cost. Handing a report written for one of those across to the other is the shortest route to having the number challenged.
Three things move a piece of household property further than anything else: what it is, who made it, and how much of it is still original. Refinishing, replaced parts, married sets and later marriages of old and new all show up in the sales evidence, and the report says where each of them moved the number and in which direction.
Metals and gems
Weight and purity put a floor under a piece of silver or gold. Maker, pattern, completeness and condition are what carry it above one, and only realized sales show by how much.
Collections
A complete service, a matched set or a long unbroken run can carry a premium that a piece by piece total misses entirely. It can also carry a discount, in a market that only wants the highlights.
Three rules shape what a West Virginia number has to answer for: when property is valued, how much of a household a creditor cannot reach, and what weight the estate paperwork carries once it is signed.
Value date
July 1
is the day West Virginia values property on, where most states use January 1
All property other than public service businesses is assessed annually as of July 1 at its true and actual value, and the statute defines that value as the price the property would sell for if voluntarily offered for sale by its owner, on the terms such property is usually sold on, and not the price that might be realized at a forced sale. The definition matters as much as the date. A figure produced by a quick liquidation is not the standard the statute asks for, and a report that reaches one should say plainly that is what it is.
Exemptions
$16,000
is the ceiling on the household property a West Virginia debtor keeps, at $800 in any one item
In bankruptcy a West Virginia debtor may exempt household furnishings, household goods, wearing apparel, appliances, books, animals, crops and musical instruments held primarily for personal, family or household use, capped at $800 in value in any particular item and $16,000 in the aggregate. Jewelry held for the same use is exempt up to $2,000, and the implements, professional books and tools of a trade up to $3,000. Those ceilings are why a schedule usually needs a value against each significant piece rather than one figure for the room.
Estates
Prima facie evidence
is what a signed West Virginia appraisement is of the values it carries
An executed and signed appraisement form is prima facie evidence of the value of the property listed, that the property is subject to administration, and that the personal representative received it. The same section gives every personal representative authority to retain the services of an expert to assist and advise on appraising any asset, compensated a reasonable sum out of the estate and open to review afterwards. Retaining one is the ordinary course wherever the property is not the sort a fiduciary can price from a bank statement.
What West Virginia clients say we are known for
Across 23 published West Virginia appraisal reviews, every one from a client who paid AppraiseItNow for an appraisal, the three things they raise most often are that they would hire us again, how much research is visible in the report, and how quickly we answer.
AppraiseItNow Inc. is the best company I was lucky to find by accident. I was looking for someone to appraise cabinets for a donation to charity. I asked for multiple referrals, called multiple appraisal services, etc., and no one could help me. I found AppraiseItNow and from the moment I started working with them, they were wonderful! Joe guided me on what I needed to send him, what needed to be done and stayed in touch with me the entire time. Their customer service is OUTSTANDING and a welcome surprise in today’s world where good customer service is an anomaly! They returned an appraisal in a timely manner, it was clear, concise, cost-effective and exactly what I needed. They followed up with me multiple times to ensure that I received it and everything was OK. My CPA is also thrilled to have them as an accredited appraisal service he can use for other clients. I rarely leave reviews, but I could not pass giving them 5 stars and I’d give 10 if possible! THANK YOU JOE AND ALL AT APPRAISEITNOW!!👊🏼
Personal Property Appraisal for Charitable Donation
I used AppraiseItNow for the first time last month and I was extremely pleased with the results. I needed an appraisal done for insurance purposes and the level of detail about each of my antique furniture pieces was thorough and very helpful in my being able to get the highest amount possible from my insurance company for the antique items that were damaged. I could see that they spent time making sure that the information she included was correct and current for my antique furniture items in the current market. The team responded to my emails timely to answer any questions I had. I would highly recommend Appraise It Now to get a thorough and professional appraisal done on antique items. I do intend to use them again for other antique furniture and jewelry that I have. Job well done! 😃🤗
Antique Furniture Appraisal for Insurance Claim
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
I was skeptical at first, but the company exceeded all of my expectations. The team responded quickly to every question, and the service was excellent. They’re now my go to source for my collection. I’ve used them twice already, and I plan to use them several more times.
Firearms Appraisal for Personal Use
Joe made the process to have my piece of furniture appraised extremely easy, efficient and quick. My experience was great and I'd recommend AppraiseItNow to anyone looking for an appraisal.
Furniture Appraisal for Insurance Coverage
I asked AppraiseItNow to value a piece of sports memorabilia for purposes of a charitable donation. The item is rarely sold. Their research unearthed an important recent sale of a similar item, which I had not found previously, and which the first appraiser I used had not found either. AppraiseItNow was a good deal more expensive than the first service, but they crafted a detailed report in which I have much more confidence. They also helped me make sure the correct tax forms are used. Thank you!
Sports Memorabilia Appraisal for Charitable Donation
Given the USPAP-compliant nature of AppraiseItNow’s appraisal reports, we prepare our deliverables for major legal, tax, and financial reporting purposes for individual and commercial clients.
Popular uses of our appraisal reports include:
Primarily through comparable sales analysis using completed auction and dealer transaction data, with the Blue Book of Gun Values as a widely used baseline that we adjust to current market conditions. Asking prices and forum opinions are not evidence; realized sales for the same model, configuration, and condition grade are.
Because matching serial numbers, correct period markings, and factory configuration can shift value by large multiples compared to similar-looking but altered pieces. Refinishing, replaced barrels, and mismatched parts all discount a collectible firearm heavily, so we document originality attribute by attribute in the report.
No. The Real Estate Appraiser Licensing and Certification Act reaches valuations of real estate, and W. Va. Code § 30-38-1(c)(4) states in terms that the article does not apply to appraisals of personal property, including jewelry, household furnishings and vehicles. What gives a firearms appraisal standing with courts, insurers, and the IRS is USPAP-compliant methodology and documented market support, not a state license.
No. Firearms and ammunition held for personal use are statutorily defined as exempt personal effects and are not even listed on the annual property return. Guns held as inventory in a firearms business lose that protection and are taxable at 60% of appraised market value. Probate is separate either way: a decedent's firearms still must be appraised for the estate appraisement.