Appraisals

Monetary Appraisals for Tax Purposes

Donors may be entitled to take an income tax deduction by claiming their gift of rare or manuscript materials as a charitable donation. While Library staff cannot serve as tax advisors, it is the Library's understanding that to claim a deduction for non-cash gifts in excess of $500 within a calendar year, a donor must file IRS Form 8283 (PDF, 237.3KB) (see Instructions (PDF, 62.4KB) for guidance). A formal appraisal, performed no more that sixty days before the date of the gift, is required if deductions are sought for any gift valued at over $5,000. Professional standards, University policy, and IRS regulations prohibit RBMSCL staff from making such a monetary appraisal, but see below for a list of local qualified independent appraisers who can do so for a fee.

Triangle Area Independent Qualified Appraisers

The following list does not imply any recommendation of particular dealers, but rather indicates dealers who have indicated their availability to provide professional appraisals.

Andrew Cahan Andrew Cahan: Bookseller, Ltd. 3000 Blueberry Lane Chapel Hill, NC 27516 919-968-0538 919-968-3517 (fax) Expertise: Manuscripts and Rare Books, 16th-century to present; Photography, Art, Literature, America	Edmond Miller Bull City Books P.O. Box 61617 Durham, NC 27715 919-401-6455 mail@bullcitybooks.com Expertise: 20th century American and British fiction; manuscripts and autograph materials.
Joseph Natale Joseph Natale Books 1322 Elmset Lane Durham, NC 27713 919-806-5081 natale@mindspring.com Expertise: Manuscripts and rare books, 17th century to present; American and world history; art books; history of science, religion, and military.	Lynn Roundtree Armadillo Books & Appraisals P.O. Box 1145 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 919-419-9740 419-781-9079 (E-fax) armadillobooks@yahoo.com Expertise: Personal papers, manuscripts and books; American history & literature; British History & Literature; Southern history & Civil War.
Henry Turlington H.E. Turlington Books P.O. Box 1727 Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-545-0847 or 919-545-2822 Expertise: Manuscripts and rare books; American and British literature; literary manuscripts.	John Lawrence Sharpe Cultural Properties and Resources Management, Inc.  434 Millspring Drive Durham, NC 27705-1318 919-383-5956 or 919-621-0021 (cell) Expertise: Greek, Latin, Ethiopic Manuscripts; Rare Books, 16th-century to the present; Academic research collections; Business archives and family records

You may also contact the following organizations to obtain names and contact information for qualified appraisers:

Society of American Archivists 17 North State Street Suite 1425 Chicago, IL 60602-3315	American Society of Appraisers 555 Herndon Parkway Suite 125 Herndon, VA 20170
Appraisers Association of America 386 Park Avenue South, Suite 2000 New York, NY 10016	The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America 20 West 44th St., Fourth Floor New York, NY 10036-6604

The donor is responsible for arranging for and paying the cost of such an appraisal, which may be tax deductible. To complete the appraisal process, the University's Alumni and Development Records Office will sign the necessary form and send the formal IRS receipt to the donor. See IRS publication 561, "Determining the Value of Donated Property," and consult your tax advisor or attorney for further information on tax deductions for gifts of printed or manuscript materials.