Less than an hour after submitting my online request for a vintage breakfront appraisal I received a phone call from Daniel Sanders, Four Sales Ltd and Inventory Inspector LLC. We had a lengthy discussion during which he provided a great deal of information and history on the changes in valuation for this particular type of furniture over the past 20 years.

I have a 10-piece Union National French Provincial dining room set and a matching bedroom dresser my parents bought in the 1970s. Whether or not I submitted the other pieces for appraisal would depend on the result I received for the breakfront. Daniel is very knowledgeable about this particular manufacturer, the history of the company, the types and styles of furniture they manufactured and sold, and how each style has been valued by the market over the years. A very informative and helpful discussion.

He also told me this particular style was not in great demand at this time and that it would have been valued much higher some years ago. My own research on Google did find the same breakfront in excellent condition was listed for sale some years ago at a fairly high price, but over the next few years, the price dropped considerably before it sold more than 8 years ago. We will be donating the furniture, so whoever eventually buys it may find that in 10-15 years or so French Provincial is again in demand and the value may increase (my own thoughts).

Daniel gave me his estimated valuation for the breakfront and told me he did not think it would be worth it for me to pay for appraisals on the other pieces. The report I received included his valuation of the breakfront, and included a site-unseen estimated value for the type of dining room set this piece would be part of.

I very much appreciated Daniel’s honesty, and the time he took to discuss all aspects of this furniture with me, without trying to sell me additional services. He also offered a few things we should consider when claiming a charitable deduction. The time spent on the phone and the following report were worth so much more than the $100 I paid.

Fran D. ~
Springfield, VA (October 2022)