Vintage Garage Chicago Appraisal Fair FAQ's
When do you appraise items
VG Chicago's appraisal fair happens the 3rd Sunday at the Vintage Garage Chicago from 12pm to 4pm. Located at 5051 N. Broadway, Chicago IL 60640 April through October. We will also do appraisals at the November Holiday Market. We are located at Argyle and Broadway in the Uptown neighborhood. Visit us once a month between April and October. How do you appraise or evaluate items? Based on experience in the field and prices of comparable items sold within the past 5 years. We look at the overall properties of the items as well as the condition it's in. What era of items are you looking for? We are all about vintage so that's what we are looking for. Pre 1980's, 20th century but we'll look at anything OLD. See 'What is Vintage?' for more info on exactly what we mean by vintage. Will I get a certificate or some proof of appraisal? No. These are free opinion based verbal evaluations where we discuss what it is what it could be worth. If you bring us an item to look at that falls into the category of needing a written appraisal you will need to contact a certified ISA or AAA appraiser. A written appraisal is at least $75 dollars an hour and up. Written appraisals take research and time and are created in a way where they will stand up in court. Not everything needs that sort of paperwork. Usually valuable and pricey items that you would need to insure. Does a value given mean I can sell it for that much? Values are based on retail sales. In order to sell something for a retail price, you'd have to have a store, booth etc. You may get the price if it were consigned but remember you will pay a percentage to sell it. Just because someone says this is worth X doesn't mean that's what you will actually receive for it if you decided to sell it. Selling has many variables. Could you come over and look at my huge pile of appraisal items? If you have a situation like this, please CONTACT US, we are happy to help guide you on what to do next. Is there anything else I need to bring besides my stuff? Nope that'll do it. What do I do after the appraisal? Enjoy the fact you have more knowledge of the items itself and what it could bring at market. If it's an item that's beyond our expertise, we'll advise you were to take it for advice. Sometimes you need a higher end auction house to do the research and verify what you have. What kind of stuff will you appraise? check out what sort of items we'll look at for the appraisal fair here. Will you appraise items I purchased at the show? No. Please bring estate items or items from home. Things you don't know about. If you made a purchase, it's because you liked and enjoyed it and felt the price was agreeable. This fair is for estate type of items. What if I want to sell my stuff? There are certain items we would buy BUT we won't appraise it, we'll make an offer to buy. These are 2 different values. What someone will pay for something vs. what something is worth are two different things. If you want to know a wholesale value or what a dealer would pay for it. We can tell you that. This is a very different value than a retail one. Find out how we determine the different types of values. Can you pay me cash? Any reputable buyer should pay with a business check. 
