Why can’t I have my friend, mechanic or club member appraise my car?
   Anyone can set a value on a car BUT.. will it stand up to a challenge? Some insurance companies are well known for challenging vehicle values when a claim is made. It does not matter if they accepted it when you bought the insurance or that you have been paying a premium on the value. It is easy for an insurance company lawyer to challenge any value set by anyone who may have any possible conflict of interest. This is not uncommon and many agreed or specified values have been challenged in court and the car owner has lost, allowing the insurance company to set any value they want. To avoid this, it is important to use an independent Certified Vehicle Appraiser that only does appraisals. Appraisals by people who are associated with firms that buy, sell, restore, transport or repair vehicles opens the door for for having the value challenged! 

Even having a club member, show judge or other person familiar with your car does not mean the value will not be challenged. The person setting the value must also have considerable credentials and experience in setting vehicle values. To date, a Certified Vehicle Appraisal has never lost to a insurance company challenge. Many values set by others have been set aside.
        Don’t take the chance - Get a Certified Vehicle Appraisal.

Is the appraisal fair market value what I can sell my car for?
   Not necessarily The fair market value is based on sales of vehicles like yours in the overall market. The point of a fair market value is to set what it would the average cost for you to replace your current vehicle with one similar and of the same condition. Sales prices vary around the country and as the market and demand Vs supply fluctuates. The price you can sell your vehicle is based on what someone is willing to pay for it as illustrated by the prices at some of the auctions. Many cars sell for more OR less than the fair market value at the auctions. The value of a Certified Vehicle Appraisal is that it sets a documented value point based on the condition of your vehicle. This gives you a starting point to determine the price you wish to sell the vehicle for and make it in line with the market place.

Is the value of my vehicle the same as the auction prices?
   No, Not Really! If you have ever attended or seen the big auctions on TV, you can see that some vehicles sell at prices way beyond what the average sales price would be. This can be due to many reasons such as “Auction Fever”. Go to any type of auction and watch what happens when 2 or more people seek to win an item. The real market value goes out the door and egos and competition take over. Also, the condition rating of the vehicles at the auctions are not posted so it is impossible to determine what condition rating the car up for auction really is. Also note, that auction information is what was given to the auction house by the owner and is NOT verified! Auction prices can have an impact on the fair market value when a trend appears like the current “HEMI” prices but remember, auction prices do NOT set the market values. The market values are determined by the actual sales as reported to the various pricing guides. A Certified Vehicle Appraisal is your best guide since it sets the fair market value and documents the condition based on the definition set by the industry.

What are condition ratings?
Condition Ratings are definitions of the car’s condition as set buy the pricing guides. They vary a little from pricing guide to pricing guide but overall they are fairly standardized on the 1-6 rating. Briefly a #1 car is a concourse level show car that is not driven. A #2 car is a show car, not of #1 condition but is driven usually less than 1000 a year and can compete for top honors if a #1 car is not present at a judged show. 95% of the cars at shows and cruise-ins are #3 condition. These cars are driven and may show some wear when closely examined. They usually look very good from 20 feet or so away, but close inspection shows imperfections or wear.

A #4 car is a car that even from 20 feet away, need restoration. It usually is a “driver” that someone really enjoys. It is complete. A #5 car may or may not run, needs a total restoration and all the parts are there. A #6 car is a parts car. To see a sample list of ratings, go to http://www.firsttraderegistry.com/old_cars_price_guide.htm . On a Certified Vehicle Appraisal we have further define the condition ratings to include a + or - rating (I.E. 2-) to expand the condition codes even further.