• act competently and ethically,
•    understand your valuation problem,
•    use the applicable value definition,
•    research the appropriate market level,
•    perform the necessary scope of work,
•    solve your appraisal problem credibly,
• and prepare a meaningful oral or written report.

Since 1979 - Over 40 years market experience

Welcome!

William Novotny is a general collectibles, antique, art and personal property appraiser in Los Angeles.

A personal property appraiser must be independent, objective, impartial, unbiased and competent.

All appraisal reports, written or oral, must comply with minimum standards (USPAP) and must be suitable for the intended use.

A General personal property appraiser must be competent and qualified to solve complex appraisal problems with many property types.

William Novotny has 40 years of experience. He will provide meaningful, well reasoned value opinions defensible by data and worthy of belief by every client

Rest Easy. Use Novotny as your antiques and personal property appraiser. He will:

Types of Personal Property Residential Contents Appraised

A complete description of important objects includes:

• Maker, Model #, Pattern, Artist

• Type of Object (Title and Description)

• Period (Date Created/Circa)

• Medium (Material) Country

• Dimensions

• Signature, inscriptions-other identifying details

• Condition & quality/rarity/provenance, ETC.

You’ve made an important and wise decision to seek an antique appraiser. Carefully consider this:

Antiques, Furniture, Decorative Art, Fine Art, Collectibles, Glass, Metals, Ceramics, Toys, Dolls, Lighting, Textiles, Rugs, Quilts, Samplers, Couture, Books, Posters, 
Folk Art, Records, Military, Sporting and Scientific Objects, Far Eastern (Asian) Objects, Native American Objects, General Household Goods and Residential Contents (both appreciating and depreciating)

Check credentials (CV/Resume)

Ask all appraisers you interview if they completed the 15-Hour USPAP course, passed the test and have taken all current 7 Hour USPAP Update Courses since. Ask if they are a member of a professional appraisal society or association?

If they answer "no" - proceed cautiously!

Valuation is not an easy task!

Personal property appraisals are challenging. The types of objects needing appraisal are unlimited, created throughout time of multiple materials for different uses and purposes from all over the world. Each object must be identified and it's characteristics, relevant to value, must be identified and understood from the proper market perspective.

When value is in doubt - Find Out!

Report Credibility based on Intended Use and Following the Appraisal Process

Most Intended Uses:

Expert Witness/Litigation Support, Decision Making

IRS Tax, Insurance, Damage Claims, Trusts

Equitable Distribution, Divorce, Estate Planning

Sales Advisory, Liquidations, Appraisal Review

Complex Assignments, Preliminary Reports

Single Objects or Complete Houseful -

REPORT OPTIONS: Oral Appraisal,

Restricted Appraisal Report or a Comprehensive, Formal Appraisal Report

Intended Use

General Antiques and Personal Property Appraiser

General Antiques Appraiser - Personal Property Appraiser

Expert Antiques Appraiser

General Personal Property Appraiser

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Make An Appointment

Most Types of Objects

Value in Doubt? Find Out!

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Personal Property Appraiser
Ethical and Competent
Careful Problem Identification
Flexible Scope of Work
Market Research as needed
Carefully Developed Opinions
Oral or Formal Reports
Credible Opinions
USPAP Compliant
Expert Witness Background
AQB Certified USPAP Instructor
Instructor of Appraisal Theory Methods, Practice and Report Writing
Dedicated To Do It Right

Personal Property Appraiser - Residential Contents Appraiser - Household Goods Appraiser - General Antiques Appraiser - Rare Objects Appraiser

Avoid Covid19 While sheltering in place and still get an appraisal in your house.
CLICK HERE to find out more and to arrange for a live, online formal or oral appraisal.
Contact Novotny, a nationwide, Los Angeles based highly qualified general person property and antique appraiser with over 40 years of market experience in all market levels and with most types of personal property, whether rare or common and ordinary. Novotny will arrange a live, nationwide interactive inspection and appraisal using Zoom and/or Face Time which will allow the client and appraiser to share screens from your home and mine while sheltering remotely nationwide. Objects can be inspected from various perspectives so that the appraiser can see relevant value characteristics such as marks, signatures etc. sufficiently to identify and value most objects. The opportunity to meet online and live is sufficient in most cases for him to develop and report his assignment results meaningfully and properly understood as an Oral appraisal Report or a Formal Appraisal Report.

Determining value is not an easy task. Appraising is not an exact science. The appraisal process followed by a competent personal property appraiser is objective and market based. A competent general antiques and personal appraiser must identify the problem to determine whether they are competent to solve the problem identified. If so, then the appraiser accepts the assignment and proceeds to develop credible assignment results. Then the appraiser must produce a meaningful, appropriate and complete personal property appraisal report that is worthy of belief (even if the report is only brief and delivered verbally). The appraiser must always understand and comply with the minimum standards (USPAP) in order to protect the public. Appraisers must act competently and ethically at all times.

A general antiques appraiser and personal property appraiser begins by communicating carfully to determine that they are sufficiently experienced and knowledgeable to complete the appraisal assignment competently. Only then can the personal property appraiser accept an appraisal job. Only then they know what needs to be done. They know how to solve the client's value problem and are able to conduct the scope of work necessary to solve the problem identified. The methods and techniques necessary to solve different assignments types varies greatly. The appraiser must choose and use the valuation methods and techniques that are necessary to solve the valuation problem initially presented by the client.

Appraisers must understand each subject property type and the relevent market to investigate. The appraiser must be competent with the assignment type and the assignment conditions that apply. The appraiser must be aware of, understand and correctly employ the theory and methods necessary to choose and analyze the appropriate market, to identify the relevant economic and geographic factors that apply as well as the demand factors (value and quality characteristics) of the subject property necessary to determine value. The burden is on the appraiser to do what ever is necessary to produce credible assignment results. It is not an easy task.

There are ever changing market factors and economic conditions at play. There are competing and alternative markets in which any given property could be sold. When value is significant the appraiser must select appropriate comparable objects and consider competing markets and market accessibility. As value increases the so does the diligence needed to identify relevant data, and apply a proper comparative analyses to ensure that the assignment results are worthy of belief.

When the personal property appraiser determines the assignment results developed are worthy of belief by intended users of the report, the appraiser must then communicate the opinions, analyses and conclusions to the client in a manner that is not misleading and that can be properly understood. This requires sufficient disclosure of the scope of work performed, a statement of all limiting conditions and assumptions that applied, so that intended users can properly and meaningfully evaluate the report, judge its relevance and determine to what extent to rely upon it. The appraisal report options are flexible, depending upon intended use and assignment type. Sometime an oral report, accompanied by an "Oral Appraisal Report Disclosures" form, provides context to make the report meaningful and very cost effective.

A general personal property and antiques appraiser must act competently and ethically at all times in order that the public (the client and intended users) have a basis to invest their trust in the appraisers opinions, analyses and conclusions.

When Value is in doubt...Find out! Contact William Novotny, a general antiques appraiser and personal property appraiser. He will provide you with a proper personal property appraisal report using an appropriate report option such as an oral appraisal report, restricted appraisal report or a more comprehensive appraisal report.

Please note that Novotny DOES NOT BUY personal property. It would be perceived as a conflict of interest.

Visit thee new Novotny Appraisal Service website! PersonalPropertyValued.com

Novotny can assist you with an Estate Sale (Currently on Hold due to Corona Virus Pandemic)

General Antiques Appraiser and Personal Property Appraiser

in Los Angeles and Nationwide.