Antique Appraisals with Mark Moran

New Berlin Public Library presents an antiques and collectibles appraisal event featuring author and antiques expert Mark F. Moran of Iola, WI. Moran bought and sold antiques for more than 30 years, is the author or co-author of over 25 books on antiques and collectibles, and was a guest expert on the PBS program, Antiques Roadshow, for 9 seasons. He has been active as an appraiser of antiques and fine art for more than 20 years. 

Registration Information

Important: Registration is required to have an item appraised. If you would like your item appraised, you MUST include a brief description of the item upon registration. Those who wish to watch the appraisals may attend without registering.

A total of 12-14 items will be appraised each hour. Registrants #1-14 will be appraised at 11 AM, registrants #15-28 will be appraised from 12 - 1 PM, and registrants #29-40 will be appraised from 1 - 2 PM. Registration for the 11 AM hour will open on July 21. Once all the slots for an hour are filled, the next hour will open for registration.* If you are unsure of what your registrant number is, please call the library at 262-754-1815.

*We cannot fill or reserve later time slots because appraisals will take place on a continual basis; once one appraisal is done, the next will take place, and so on. If we don't fill a whole hour, then the later hour will not take place.

Accepted Objects Information

Categories of objects for appraisal may include: 

• Americana, including autographs and historical documents.
• Fine art, including paintings, drawings, prints and statuary.
• Furniture (usually smaller pieces are best).
• Ceramics, including figural pottery, vases, dishes, kitchenware and stoneware.
• Glassware, including marbles and souvenir items.
• Vintage photographs, including snapshots, tintypes, ambrotypes and daguerreotypes.
• Advertising, including posters, lithographed tin, paper and figural objects.
• Folk art, including carvings, quilts, weathervanes, windmill weights and "outsider" art.
• Assorted toys, including dolls (bisque, composition and plastic), windups and mechanical banks.
• Metalware, including iron, bronze, brass, pot metal, silver, silver plate.
• Clocks, including mantel, hanging and figural.
• Costume jewelry, including brooches, bracelets, earrings.
• Musical Instruments, including string, wind and reed instruments.
• Antique and vintage lighting of all kinds.
• Books.
• Sports Memorabilia. 

Excluded items: all weapons, including swords and knives (though folding knives with advertising are accepted); traps (like leg-hold); Nazi memorabilia; coins and paper money; fine jewelry, including precious gems; Beanie Babies. 

Questions about objects not covered here can be submitted to Moran in advance to determine if they are appropriate. When in doubt, submit inquiries to moranm1953@gmail.com. When in doubt, email inquiry can often address this.

Opinions of value are informal, and may not be used for insurance or charitable donations, which require a certified appraisal.