How it works: from photo to value range

How it works is simple: you upload one photo, and within about half a minute you see what the item probably is, roughly when it was made, its visible condition and a realistic value range.

1. Take a clear photo

Use daylight or a bright room and fill the frame with the item. Put it on a plain background. If there is a maker's mark, a stamp, a label or a serial code, take a second photo of it close up and use whichever photo shows the most.

2. Upload it

Drop the photo on the upload box or tap Take a photo on your phone. JPG, PNG and HEIC photos up to 8 MB work. Your photo is resized, analyzed and not stored after the estimate is made.

3. Read your result

• Likely identification, with any marks we could read.
• Approximate era, as a range of years or a period.
• Condition on a 1 to 10 scale, with a short note. Hidden damage cannot be seen in a photo.
• Value range in US dollars, for what similar items typically sell for.
• Confidence: low, medium or high, with the reason.
• What affects the price: three things that move the value of this item.
• Similar listings for sale now on eBay, when we find them. These are asking prices, not sold prices.

4. Decide what to do next

A low range with high confidence usually means a common piece: sell it locally or donate it. A high range, or low confidence on something that looks special, is a reason to look closer: check sold listings, or talk to a credentialed appraiser before you sell.

What it costs

Your first estimate needs no sign-up. After that, one estimate is $4.99, or you can estimate as many items as you like for $7.99 a week or $24.99 a month. See pricing.

What it is not

It is not a formal appraisal and it cannot authenticate designer goods or test metals and stones. Read how we estimate for the method and its limits.