So you've just purchased the perfect antique sideboard, and you're wondering what you should do to safeguard your investment. First, hold onto the receipt. It's a record of what you paid for the piece, and it could help establish its value with your insurance company. Then photograph it and store the photos in a safe place – like a fireproof strongbox or a bank lockbox.

You're not done yet, though. If the sideboard is valuable, it's critical that you get it appraised to ensure that your insurance company gives you its full market value if you're unfortunate enough to suffer a house fire or other catastrophe.

Looking for identifying marks, certified appraiser Christine Corbin scrutinizes the bottom of a client's sterling silver bowl. An appraisal can evaluate one object or an entire household.

Reconstructing a home's furnishings after a fire is tough, says Betsy Bullock, an antiques expert and an accredited member of the International Society of Appraisers, retired. It's far better to be prepared for the worst with receipts, photographs, and appraisal reports.

But how do you get that appraisal report? Not by flipping through the phone book and looking under "appraisals," the experts say.

It's a good idea to use an appraiser who has a professional certification through one of the three major organizations in the United States, says Joy Starkey, underwriting manager for Mutual Assurance Society of Virginia.

Those organizations are the International Society of Appraisers, the American Society of Appraisers, and the Appraisers Association of America.

"You're putting your trust in that appraiser," Starkey points out.

Careful research determined the bowl was manufactured in 1920 by the Kalo Shop, an important silversmith in Chicago. The company went out of business in 1970. The item, in very good condition, was appraised at $750.

It's best to find an appraiser with expertise in the objects you'd like to have appraised, so you should ask about an appraiser's educational background and work experience, Bullock says.

But appraisers who are certified members of one of the three major organizations can call on other members for additional expertise, if your collection is diverse.

The appraisal itself is pretty straightforward, says Christine Corbin, vice president of the International Society of Appraisers and a certified appraiser for Motley's Auction and Realty Group.

"First, I gather information about things the clients have and what they'll use the report for," Corbin says. "Then we do a walkthrough to see what they've got, and I give them an estimate of the appraisal's cost. I also tell them what will go into the report. Then we do an inventory, room to room."

The inventory can be a little time-consuming, depending on how many objects are to be appraised.

"I can do a whole house in 2½ hours or 2½ weeks," Corbin says. "A lot are half-day."

An appraisal includes measurements and a verbal description, as well as photographs. This circa 1920 sterling silver porringer by Tiffany & Co. is worth $1,250.

One key component of the appraisal is the verbal description.

"You'll be examining the object physically and generating a verbal description of the object so that without a photo, someone can visualize it," Bullock says.

The finished appraisal report will include the verbal description and photographs, as well as documentation on the object's dimensions, its construction materials, date, attribution, and label or markings.

"If you are not examining the object closely and aren't able to provide comparables, you are giving an unconsidered opinion," Bullock says.

So you've gotten that sideboard appraised, along with a few other antiques you've been meaning to have appraised as well. Are you finished?

Yes – for a while, at least.

"Insurance companies like you to update the appraisal reports every five years," Corbin says.

Advice — What Does An Appraisal Cost?

Appraisers typically charge anywhere from $75 to $150 per hour, depending on their qualifications and how much research is required, says Christine Corbin, vice president of the International Society of Appraisers and a certified appraiser for Motley's Auction and Realty Group. "You could have a $2,000 appraisal for a whole house," Corbin says. "The better the objects, the more time and research it takes to make sure we get the value right." Expect to pay more if the appraisal report will be filed with the Internal Revenue Service or if the appraiser will testify as an expert witness in court. "With the IRS, you have to prove the value you came up with is the most likely value and document it with comparable sales results of similar or like objects," Corbin says. "It's exactly like getting your house appraised."