Charitable Donations

The IRS requires a professional appraisal accompany all charitable donations of tangible property over $5,000. Ex Libris specializes in large collections, including archives; we provide digital inventories along with our USPAP compliant appraisals, that prove useful to donee institutions. For more information, please visit our FAQs page.

Insurance Appraisals

Most insurance agencies require a  formal written appraisal outlining Retail Replacement Value for antiques and fine art. It is recommended that these appraisals be updated every 3-5 years in keeping with shifts in the market. Your insurance company may also require a professional appraisal in the event of damage or loss to your property. A well-researched and substantiated appraisal will aid in facilitating a quick claims response. All of our appraisals are designed to meet or exceed insurance industry standards and include color digital photographs.

Estate Planning and Probate

While we specialize in rare book libraries, manuscripts and archives, by utilizing our established network of peer appraisers of fine art, decorative arts, furniture and jewelry, we can provide an appraisal of your whole estate to clarify questions of property value and distribution. Financial planners, attorneys and related professionals also utilize these appraisals in establishing a client’s net worth for probate and tax requirements. Our appraisals are USPAP compliant and meet IRS standards, including photographs, comparables and supporting materials as needed.

Equitable Distribution of Assets

Be it multiple heirs in an estate or a divorce settlement, an unbiased professional appraisal of your property can greatly alleviate many of the stresses involved in dividing assets.  

Collection Management

All archives and libraries have one thing in common – they are made up of a lot of items. That is part of what makes them valuable, notably the intrinsic value in the combination of those items to reflect either a specific book collecting category (i.e. notable Americana, natural history, fine press) or the history of a person, place, or movement. However, in addition to acquiring them, all of these items need to be organized, catalogued, stored and, in many cases insured. A workable inventory is essential for all of those aspects of collection management and for most appraisal purposes, whether it be for sale, donation, insurance or the equitable division of assets.

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We will transform your library or archive into a form that is easily transmittable, revisable and discernable, emphasizing the high spots and highlighting the long-term importance of the collection as a whole. All of our appraisals are accompanied by a corresponding sortable excel inventory.

Additional Valuation and Consultation Services

Independent of any institution or auction house, we are happy to provide preliminary analyses and valuation services as a starting point for a sale negotiation or to achieve a better understanding of how best to manage your collection in the future. These general estimations may prove an important factor when choosing whether to hold on to your property for the time being, pass the collection on to your heirs, sell all or a portion of it at auction or donate it to your alma mater.  

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In addition to providing appraisals for your existing property, Ex Libris Appraisals, LLC works with private and corporate collectors to build meaningful collections. In addition to rare and fine books and manuscripts, we specialize in maps and natural history prints, including John James Audubon. Through our established network of dealers, auction house representatives, and private collectors worldwide, we will cull the best property at the best price for you.