Professional appraisers. There are certified professionals to appraise almost any item, the Appraisers Association of America[5] X Research source and the International Society of Appraisers[6] X Research source are two respected organizations look into. The benefit of a professional appraiser is, since they are not allowed to buy item they appraise, you are more likely to be given a fair market value for your items. Price guide books. For many collectable items there are respected books you can purchase to help you self-assess the price of your items. If your dad had a stamp or baseball collection, a guidebook can help you itemize and roughly price the collection. Online appraisals. There are websites where you can upload photos and pay to have items appraised. While these websites are not able to authenticate, they can be helpful in giving a value to your items. Just be careful to do your research into the credibility before paying for any online services.
Age order. Take turns choosing from oldest to youngest, and then youngest to oldest. Shake dice. Each family member rolls a pair of dice. Choose highest to lowest roll, then lowest to highest roll. Then roll again and repeat. [7] X Research source Draw straws. Number straws, one for each family member, then take turns drawing. Choose heirlooms from highest to lowest, then lowest to highest, and repeat.
Any items that are not on anyone’s list are immediately put aside and not used in the auction. Give each sibling equal amounts of “money. ” Use pennies, popsicle sticks, monopoly money, etc. to use during the “auction. ” Read over the list of items that will be available during the auction so everyone can plan how they might want to spend their money. Remind family members that they only have a set amount to work and to bid wisely. Auction off each item. Siblings may bid on their most wanted heirlooms until their “money” is gone. [8] X Research source
