The value of an antique firearm, like any commodity, is a function of supply and demand. The more scarce the item and greater collector interest, the greater the value. The first step in determining the value is to properly identify the model and any significant variations or features. Once the firearm is properly identified, it is necessary to access the overall condition of the firearm. While this may seem somewhat subjective, definitive guidelines for grading antique firearms are available.

We recommend that you have any old firearm thoroughly inspected by a professional gunsmith to determine if it is safe to shoot. Antique firearms offered by Dixie are sold as collector items only. Dixie does not imply nor express any warranty for their use in shooting.

antique gun's original finish and patina are of paramount importance to the firearm collector. The value of many an antique firearm has been destroyed by over cleaning and/or refinishing. The only cleaning we recommend is to use oil and extra fine or super fine steel wool (#000 or #0000) and lightly rub the metal surfaces. This should remove surface grim while not harming the finish or patina.

Check "The Beatles Price Guide for American Records", by Cox & Lindsay. If you don't have access to this, you can post your request, but keep in mind the fact that most original Beatles albums and singles are judged very strictly in terms of quality. If your LP has had the normal amount of use, it's probably worth more to you as a sentimental token than it is to collectors.

We are sorry, but we are not able to put a dollar value on your old MAHA. There are just too many variables for us to appraise your old ski. Old Maherajah skis do appreciate if they are taken care of. A ski built in the mid 1970's that cost approximately $150 might bring $300-400 on eBay. The best way to find out is to give it a try, or to search eBay's completed and current auctions.

There are several approaches. You can get a copy of Vintage Guitar Magazine or look at their website www.vguitar.com to see if there's a guitar like yours for sale. The key factors are the age of the instrument, its overall condition and the demand on the vintage market for one like it. Our primary area of expertise is in pre-World War II Nationals.

We only have records of firearms that we have imported. SKB Shotguns USA does not have access to records from previous importers. Typically we have information available for guns with serial number prefixes of NS, NSG, NA, and AS. Shotguns imported by "Ithaca Gun Company" were manufactured from 1969 to 1978. Shotguns imported by Mitsui (Chicago, IL) were manufactured from 1981 to 1984.

FEGA does not do appraisals. Establishing a value on engraved firearms can be very difficult. Many variables must be considered. Factors that affect the price include the quality and amount of engraving, the quality and overall condition of the firearm, the engraver's reputation, whether or not it is signed, and the type and desirability of the gun itself.

According to some folks on Usenet, it is a WWI-era revolver. Then again, where did he get it? Most of us certainly appreciate the irony of it being from one of the places that James visited.

The Digital Research Library cannot appraise books or antiques. You will need to speak with a reputable antique appraiser, a rare book dealer, or book conservator. There are many cultural heritage institutions or Web sites that specialize in preserving, documenting, or teaching about Pittsburgh's history, industrial past, and genealogy. Many of the following Web sites also provide contact information for research inquiries.

Almost all Better Pack machines are identified by a serial number. Give this serial number to your local distributor and they will tell you the year the machine was manufactured. We can also provide that information if you Contact us. Your distributor will also be able to estimate the cost to repair your machine versus the benefits of purchasing a new machine.

To find the value of old books, contact your local bookseller or check the prices for comparable rare and used books on ebay.com, amazon.com, abebooks.com, www.bookfinder.com, or other such sites. You can also contact the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America for information about finding the value of a book.

Regarding the value of your unit this will depend on various factors such as the condition of the unit and whether or not it has been recovered or painted, the condition of the chassis and what material it is made from (Aluminium or Steel) whether the chassis has been altered or modified in anyway and whether the major components i.e. transformers and speakers are original.

We are not appraisers. We recommend that you take your lamp to a high quality reputable antique shop and ask them to either appraise your heirloom or send you to someone who can. On a positive note. While in that antique shop look around. Find one that is close in both style and size to yours. You will probably be pleasantly surprised at what these old lamps are going for.

The short answer: It doesn't matter. Open it and drink it! Many people are saving a special wine for that special occasion or are just saving it because they think it will get better and better. Often this is a mistake and the wine is shot (well past its peak) by the time it is opened or it ends up getting left to the children. This is especially true if the special wine is a Champagne! Most Champagnes are ready to drink when released and do not improve significantly. They will last a few years.

Answer: If you find the contents valuable, and the book is in the public domain, it can enrich the lives of millions of Net readers if you put it online. So by that measure, it can be very valuable indeed. But you probably also want to know what your copy would be worth to sell or insure. I can't tell you what the book will fetch, not being qualified to appraise books here. (And even an expert would have to see the book to give a reliable estimate of its value.

Special Collections cannot provide appraisals of any materials. We can provide reference books for you to determine how much similar items have been offered for as well as names of area book dealers and manuscript appraisers who may be able to assist you for a fee.

For Indian and other prehistoric items, contact the Historic Preservation Division; for Civil War and other historic items, contact the Old Capitol Museum.

The majority of circulated (used) silver dollars minted from 1878 through 1935 are worth between $5 and $10 depending on date and condition. Uncirculated examples (unused) begin at $15 and up depending on their date and quality. There are better dates and mintmarks that are extremely valuable, depending on their condition. You can check our Price Guide to find out which dates these are.

Valley Forge Flag Company does not add any date to a flag when it is manufactured, so there is no way for us to determine the age of a flag. We believe that the value of a flag is a reflection of the emotions that are at the source of its ownership, and we can't therefore guess at how valuable your flag is. You can visit this site, though: www.vexman.net/antique.htm for further information, and possibly a written assessment, of your antique flag.

It would be considered unethical for a staff member to appraise your books, but we can recommend sources of information: The brochure Your Old Books, is a helpful starting point. It is available electronically from the website of? the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. The website also provides information about purchasing paper copies of the brochure. Commercial websites such as www.abebooks.

Sharon cannot appraise your fabric online. It requires hands-on experience to evaluate textiles. You should contact a certified appraiser in your area.

The British Library is not able to give valuations: for this you should approach an antiquarian bookseller. The names and addresses of many antiquarian booksellers in Britain and Ireland are contained in Sheppards book dealers in the British Isles, a copy of which can be found in many public libraries. North American antiquarian booksellers are listed in the American book trade directory.

Sorry, no. Many of our customers have acquired vintage Japanese items from family or travel and ask us for more information or value. As much as we might like to assist, we are not certified appraisers. Our prices here are based on availability, condition and decorative appeal of each item.

Good question! There are so many varying factors that it is hard to set a dollar amount. But looking at the tapestry ask yourself the following questions: is the color good? is there any fading? are there any holes? is it lined and ready to hang? what is the fabric? what is the theme? All of these are determining factors. So, what is it worth? It's worth can somewhat be based on similar sized "modern" tapestries using the abovementioned guidelines.

We do not appraise the value of record collections. We do, on occasion, purchase bulk lots of 78rpm records. The more information you can supply on the records (such as sample labels, artists, conditions), the better your chances will be on obtaining an offer. If you have any questions that we can help you with, please contact us by email.

In addition to learning how your coins have changed in value over a period of many years, you can also use the Coin Value Tables? to identify approximate retail values in today's market. The websites of PCGS and Numismedia also post current estimated retail values.