<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Greg is correct that the museum should not be involved in the appraisal or recommend an appraiser to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">You can tell the donor that there are several ways to estimate value for the specimens. The obvious way is to find an appraiser who specializes in natural history collections (the Smithsonian has a list of recognized appraisal organizations at <a href="https://www.si.edu/faqs/appraisals">https://www.si.edu/faqs/appraisals</a>). Other ways to estimate value include checking auction sites and Ebay and such places for prices of similar objects (it is surprising how many natural history specimens are sold that way), or to calculate the cost of duplicating the collection (even though one can't really duplicate a natural history collection because specimens are a record of the occurrence of species at particular times and places)--the costs of travel, obtaining permits, field work, preparation, etc. <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Remember that the donor will have to either make these inquiries or hire someone not connected to the museum to make the inquiries.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">--John</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">John E. Simmons<br>Writer and Museum Consultant</span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Museologica<br><i>and</i><br>Associate Curator of Collections<br>Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br>Penn State University<br><i>and</i><br>Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitologia<br>Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima</span></font><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Feb 28, 2022 at 9:32 AM Taylor, Sarah <<a href="mailto:sarah.taylor@uconn.edu">sarah.taylor@uconn.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
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<p class="MsoNormal">Good morning all,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A colleague at a regional museum reached out to ask me for advice on how to estimate the value of a collection of donated birds (mostly skins, some taxidermy mounts). He’s not interested in individual values for each piece, but a big picture
“lump sum.” I’m sure this has come up on the listserve before, but I haven’t been able to locate it. If anyone has ideas or can point me in the direction of a resource to send to my colleague, I’d really appreciate it! I have no appraisal skills myself – and
I’m a botanist – so I’m at a total loss on my end.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cheers,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sarah<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">-----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Sarah Taylor, PhD<br>
<br>
<br>
Collections Manager, CONN<br>
<br>
George Safford Torrey Herbarium<br>
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology<br>
<b>University of Connecticut</b><br>
75 North Eagleville Road, Unit 3043<br>
Storrs, Connecticut 06269-3043<br>
U.S.A.<br>
<br>
P: 860.486.1889<br>
F: 860.486.4320 <br>
<a href="http://bgbaseserver.eeb.uconn.edu/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">http://bgbaseserver.eeb.uconn.edu/</span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
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