My father Kenneth Mayhew was a militaria expert. Sadly he is no longer with us. Luckily, some of his knowledge did rub off on me (Kent).
When submitting miltary badges, cap badges, medals, swords, guns and/or uniforms, for online evaluation, appraisal we need:
1) Provenance: The item's history and where you obtained it from.
2) Measurements/dimensions in either
inches or centimeters.
3) Digital photographs giving the front view and back view.
Furthermore, we would like to know, as best as you can:
i) Medals: We need to know if the medal is named, and to whom it is named to. Note: Named medals have the recipient’s name is written on the rim of the medal. In general named medals are the most valuable, especially ones given for bravery/valour. Sadly there are unscrupulous individuals who do rename medals, so just because it is named does not guarantee it is valuable. We are not responsible for checking if the name is valid.
ii) Badges: Generally badges are not worth paying for
an estimation of its value. However, some badges (cap) and otherwise are rare, but we cannot say until we have seen them. So whether
or not it makes financial sense for us to estimate them, is entirely up to you. Please attach a picture of both sides of the badges.
iii) Uniforms: Along with a picture of the uniform, please describe or take pictures of any labels. Also let us know if there is any damage to the uniform.
iv) Swords. Along with an overall picture, separate pictures of the sword (both sides) and scabbard is most helpful.
v) Guns: We will appraise guns which are WW2 and earlier. We need a description and/or pictures of any markings on the gun in question. In Canada collecting guns comes under strict laws, that you must be aware of: Please contact your local police station for more information.
Commentary
As with all on-line evaluations, appraisals, the more of the above informations that you provide, the more accurate our onlineevaluation, appraisal will be.
As with most things, the appraisal of militaria should involve an up close inspection. Thus, you should call and book an appointment. We then come to your residence and inspect the item. We take pictures, measurements and examine the item. We then return home and examine its values, what they sell\ for at auction versus what dealers want for them. A report is then written. The report is then and mailed to you along with a pdf file that you should store on your computer.
Our report (your appraisal) is accepted by both the courts and insurance companies
If you are just interested in knowing an estimation of your item's value then you can have us appraise on-line. On-line appraisals are just estimates based upon the information that you provide.
Accordingly, on-line appraisals should not be used for legal purposes whether that be for the courts or for insurance purposes
