Inherited Items You Can’t Identify? Start Here.
Maybe it’s a parent’s coin collection, a relative’s train room, or an attic of boxes nobody has opened in thirty years. You didn’t choose these items and you may not know what any of them are — and that’s exactly the situation we’re built for. You don’t need to research anything before contacting us.
The one rule: don’t throw anything away yet
The most expensive mistakes in inherited estates aren’t bad sales — they’re good items that went in the trash because nobody recognized them. Coin folders mistaken for old paperwork. A Leica in a worn leather bag. Trading cards in a shoebox. Tube amplifiers “that don’t even work.” Before any discarding, donating or hasty selling, let someone knowledgeable look. Our evaluation is free, so caution costs you nothing.
What to do, in order
- Secure the obvious small valuables. Coins, watches, jewelry, cameras, anything in cases or deliberately saved boxes. Set them aside; don’t sort or clean them.
- Photograph the rest as it sits. Wide shots of rooms, shelves and open boxes. You don’t need close-ups of every item, and you don’t need to know names.
- Send us the photos. Use the evaluation form or text them to 914-291-4944. We’ll tell you what looks interesting and what we’d like to see in person.
- House call. We evaluate everything in one visit — every category at once, so you’re not coordinating a coin dealer, a book dealer and a camera buyer separately.
- Decide with real information. Our offer is a concrete number, not an opinion. Accept it, decline it, or sell part — there’s no obligation either way.
For the full picture, read our guide: How to Sell an Inherited Antique Collection.
A note on sentiment and timing
There’s no rush that matters more than getting this right. Plenty of families use our evaluation simply to learn what they have, keep the meaningful pieces, and sell the rest later — or never. That’s a perfectly good outcome. What we’d gently urge you to avoid is the opposite: clearing the house quickly and learning afterward what was in it.
We work with heirs and executors throughout Westchester County — and for significant inherited estates, up to two hours from Harrison, NY. If the estate also needs a physical cleanout, see how that fits together on our estate cleanouts page.
Common questions
I have no idea what any of this is. Can you still help?
Yes — that's the situation we're built for. You don't need to identify, research or organize anything. Photograph shelves, boxes and rooms as they are, send us the photos, and we'll tell you what's worth a closer look.
What should I absolutely not throw away?
Before discarding anything, set aside: coins and currency, watches, cameras, military items, old radios and electronics, trading cards, model trains, toys in original boxes, fountain pens, advertising signs, and anything in an attic trunk or basement box that looks deliberately saved. These are the categories most often thrown away by mistake.
We're several heirs. How does selling work?
We're happy to work however the family needs — evaluating everything in one visit, providing a written summary of what we offered, and completing the purchase once whoever has authority approves. Clear documentation for multiple heirs is routine for us.