Free Antique Appraisal App
An antique appraisal app lets you photograph an item and get a likely identification plus a value range. This is an estimate, not a certified or insurance appraisal. It is built for collectors, resellers, flea-market and estate-sale shoppers, and families sorting inherited pieces who want a quick first read. The Antique Identifier app is free to start: three photo scans on the web or in the antique app, with a subscription for more identifications. Use the range to decide whether a piece deserves more research, then bring in a professional appraiser when the number has to hold up for insurance, an estate, or a sale.
Try the free antique appraisal app
Snap a photo for a likely ID and a value range. Three scans are included on the free tier. The result is an estimate, not a certified, insurance, or formal appraisal.
What an antique appraisal app can and cannot do
The app reads what your photo shows: shape, material clues, construction details, wear, and any mark or signature that is in focus. From that it suggests what the item probably is and returns an informational value range. It is a fast first opinion, not an inspection.
What it can do
- Suggest a likely identification: category, material, approximate era, and possible origin.
- Use a visible maker's mark, backstamp, hallmark, or label as a clue.
- Give an informational value range for an item like the one in the photo.
- Note visible condition, which moves value.
- Help you triage at a flea market, estate sale, or thrift store, or while clearing a house: keep, research, or pass.
What it cannot do
- See what the photo does not show: hidden repairs, replaced parts, refinishing, or damage on the side you did not shoot.
- Test materials. It cannot weigh silver, test gold, or feel the difference between porcelain and resin.
- Authenticate a signature or guarantee that a piece is genuine.
- Guarantee that the item will sell inside the range. Asking prices, sold prices, and local demand all differ.
- Produce a certified, insurance, or formal appraisal, or any document an insurer, court, or tax authority will accept.
Read the identification and valuation disclaimer before you use a number to buy, sell, or insure. For more on what a photo estimate means and where it stops, see the antique values app guide.
Free antique appraisal app vs a formal appraisal
Both answer “what is this, and what might it be worth?” but they are different products for different jobs.
| Compare | Free antique appraisal app | Formal appraisal |
|---|---|---|
| Who does it | A vision model reading your photo | A qualified appraiser who examines the item |
| What you get | A likely identification and an informational value range | A signed written report describing the item, its condition, the method used, and a value for a stated purpose |
| Type of value | A general range for research | A defined value, such as fair market value or replacement value |
| Cost | Free to start (three scans), then a subscription for more | A professional fee, usually flat or hourly |
| Speed | Right away, from your phone or browser | After an examination and a written report |
| Accepted by insurers, courts, or tax authorities | No | Yes, when it meets their requirements |
The two work best together. Use the free app to sort the many ordinary pieces from the few that might matter, then pay for a formal appraisal only where the stakes justify it. The antique valuation factors guide explains why condition, rarity, provenance, and demand can move a number in either direction.
How to photograph an item for a better estimate
The estimate can only be as good as the photo. A blurry shot of one side gives the app less to work with than a clear view of the whole piece and its marks.
- Use soft, even light. Daylight near a window works well. Turn off the flash on glass, silver, glazed ceramics, and polished wood, where glare hides detail.
- Clear the background. Put the item on a plain surface so the app is not reading the tablecloth or the shelf behind it.
- Shoot the whole object first. Fill the frame with the front, then take the back and the base or underside.
- Get the mark in focus. Photograph any signature, backstamp, hallmark, label, or incised number straight on and close enough to read. If the mark is the main clue, scan the close-up too.
- Show the damage. Chips, cracks, repairs, missing parts, and worn finish all change value. Hiding them gets you a range for a better item than the one you have.
- Show the size. Put a ruler or tape measure beside the piece, or write the measurements down. Size can separate otherwise similar items.
- Do not clean aggressively first. Dust lightly if needed, but do not polish metal, strip a finish, or scrub off patina for a photo. Cleaning can lower the value of some antiques.
Figurines are a good example. On a Hummel, the incised mold number and the backstamp on the base carry much of the identification, and the Hummel figurines identification and value guide shows what to look for. Not sure the piece is old enough to bother? Start with is this an antique.
When to see a professional appraiser
Use a qualified appraiser when the number has to be defensible or when a mistake would be expensive:
- Insuring an item or listing it on a homeowner's or collectibles policy.
- Settling an estate, dividing an inheritance, or a divorce or other legal matter.
- Donating an item and claiming a tax deduction.
- Selling a piece the app suggests could be valuable, or one where the range is wide.
- Authenticity questions on signed, rare, or high-value pieces such as fine art, jewelry with gemstones, or signed furniture.
- Before restoring or refinishing something that might be valuable.
When you choose an appraiser, look for:
- A specialty in your category. A furniture appraiser may not be the right person for jewelry or coins.
- Professional credentials. In the US, many appraisers belong to the American Society of Appraisers, the Appraisers Association of America, or the International Society of Appraisers, and write reports that follow USPAP (the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice).
- A flat or hourly fee. Be wary of anyone who wants a percentage of the appraised value.
- A written report that states the purpose and the type of value.
- No conflict of interest. An appraiser who offers to buy the item they just valued is not neutral.
An auction house's free estimate is useful too, but it is a guess at what the piece might bring at that sale, not a formal appraisal.
FAQ
Scan a photo or download the antique appraisal app
Free to start: three photo scans on the web or in the iOS/Android app. You get a likely ID and a value range. Estimates are informational, not certified, insurance, or formal appraisals.
Keep going with sister pages:
- Antique identifier app — Photo ID and an informational value range. Free to start.
- Is this an antique? — Quick checks, repro red flags, and when to call an appraiser.
- Antique values app — What a photo estimate means and where it stops.