Want to know more about your antique quilt or a family heirloom?

Donating a quilt to a charity and want to get the correct tax deduction? Entering a quilt in a national contest and dreading shipping it across the country? Made a gift quilt and want to be sure it is appreciated and doesn’t end up as a dog bed? Interested in selling quilts and wondering about pricing? Want to be sure your hard work is protected and not valued like a discount store blanket?

Simply curious about the value of your beautiful, quilted creations?

Yes, those are a lot of different situations and diverse types of quilts, but a Certified Quilt Appraiser can help you with all of them!

Finding a Certified Quilt Appraiser

Why do you need a certified quilt appraiser? Your quilts deserve a certified appraiser who has been thoroughly trained in all types of quilt appraisals (antique, vintage, new, traditional, or modern). You need someone who has been tested by an organization that monitors their credentials, continues training, and can assist you if you have a problem. The American Quilters Society (AQS) in Paducah, KY, is the only national certifier of quilt appraisers. Their training, testing, and certification program started in 1988. There are about 60 AQS Certified Quilt Appraisers in the United States and Canada.

For an AQS Appraiser visit www.americanquilter.com/connect/aqs-certified-appraiser-directory.
Most certified appraisers belong to the Professional Association of Appraisers Quilted Textiles (PAAQT), established in 1992 to promote the importance of quilt appraisals and to provide continuing education and networking. They maintain an appraisers list at paaqt.com.

Wondering about getting an online appraisal by sending in some photographs of your quilt? Sorry. Written and certified quilt appraisals are legal documents and require that the appraiser personally examines the quilt.

Decide on the Type of Appraisal You Need

Insurance: the most common type of appraisal stating a value for replacing the quilt with one of similar like and kind (comparable sales). For an antique quilt, it would be the cost to purchase another quilt from a similar era and with similar workmanship and condition. For a new quilt, insurance value may be the cost to purchase a similar one or the cost to reconstruct a similar quilt. Record of sales, fame of maker, awards won, etc., can increase the value.

Fair market value: needed if you want to sell your quilt and based on what the quilt would sell for in a transaction with a knowledgeable and willing buyer and seller in a standard marketplace. Also used for estate valuations.
Donation value: for a quilt donated to a museum or other organization and based on fair market value.