Getting Your Vintage Appliance Appraisal - what you need to know

[Jan Petroff]

I see it all the time - you have an antique or vintage piece that you've found on one of the "biggy" web sites for thousands of dollars. Now you think you just won the lottery.

Wrong!

There are very few un-restored pieces that would warrant a $1000.00 price tag. If you have a V-Handle -



If you have a Food-A-Rama -



Or maybe a Magic Chef Aristocrat -



Any of these might get you to that $1000.00 but most pieces can be found for $100.00 on up. Ebay and craigslist are great sources to find your perfect appliance.

I'd say most of the appliances I've appraised run in the $300.00 - $500.00 range. They look good (no rust, nice paint and chrome, not missing a bunch of pieces) and they still work. Yes, there are those rare finds which can get the big price tag but they're few and far between.

A restoration cost will run in the thousands of dollars. Also consider shipping prices - if you have to ship to a restoration company it's gonna cost! It takes work, time and money but you'll have a modern system that can be worked on by any appliance repair person. Read about the restoration process from one of the best www.AntiqueAppliance.com.

Don't get mad when you get that appraisal!