You may have to leave your item with the appraiser for several days.

We all have items of particular beauty or sentimental value, and for most of us, there is always one question lurking in the back of our minds: "how much is it really worth?" To get the true market value on any antique or collectable, you'll need to enlist a professional appraiser.

Usha Subramaniam has ten years experience in the auction business, including seven years at Christie's in New York. Her appraisal expertise has been featured in regular appearances on PBS' The Antiques Roadshow and A&E Network's The Incurable Collector. Here she walks us through the process of having an item appraised:

• Start with a generalist.
  If you have a number of items that you want appraised, it's best to start with a generalist. Once you determine that something might be valuable, you can look for a specialist.

• Seek expert referrals.
  Ask around and find out who's the best specialist in your area. Talk to friends, call your local museum, or call your insurance company. When you get the name of an appraiser, check to see that they belong to a reputable professional organization.

• Ask for a pin test.
  A pin that's been heated will go into the surface of plastic but not ceramic, wood or ivory, so this test can help determine out of what your object is made. You really want to depend on a qualified appraiser to do the testing, as doing it yourself can damage your item.

• Budget money and time.
  Expect to pay between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars for the appraisal. You might also have to leave the object with the appraiser for a while, so make sure to ask when you can expect it back.

• Money isn't everything.
  If the piece doesn't have the monetary value you thought, just remember that money isn't everything, and some memories are priceless.

The American Society of Appraisers
www.appraisers.org

The International Society of Appraisers
www.isa-appraisers.org

Appraisers Association of America
www.appraisersassoc.org

Appraisers National Association
www.ana-appraisers.org/index.shtml

Antique & Collectible Appraisals Online
www3.sympatico.ca/appraisers/

Next: Identifying Antiques