Welcome

I'm a third generation art and antiques appraiser and expert based in Chicago. My family owned Kohler's Trading Post in Lombard and Violetta's Antiques in Villa Park for decades and performed thousands of antique appraisals over the years.

I'm a USPAP-certified antique appraiser serving all of Chicago and the suburbs and also a member of Professional Sports Authenticators.

The antiques appraisal industry is unregulated. Anyone can call himself an antiques appraiser. That's why it's important to hire certified antique appraisers who uphold ethics and provide honest, unbiased and well-researched appraisals. Non-certified antique appraisers may have an interest in your collectibles or base their rates on their reported values. Both lead to inaccurate valuations and higher consumer fees. Everything is up front with me. My fees never change and there's no conflict of interest. I'm an advocate for my clients. My appraisals will give you the expert knowledge to make informed decisions with your collectibles. I provide this service for fair market value, insurance, division of assets, estate planning or charitable donation purposes.

Though I have a wide understanding of the antiques market, my personal background and interest has always been fine art, furniture, 19th and 20th Century American and European porcelain and pottery, Native American artifacts, early Rock and Roll collectibles, musical instruments, and rare baseball memorabilia and baseball cards. But over the years I've evaluated almost everything. If I'm not familiar with a particular antique, you'll be the first to know and I will direct you to someone more qualified.

I entered the antique business as a child selling my collection of antique toys, glass paper weights and baseball cards at my family’s stores. During college, I took a more active role in the appraisal business, writing and editing many appraisals between English studies at Northern Illinois University.

After college, I was an award-winning writer for several Chicago-area publications. But I still kept a hand in the family business as our lead buyer at auctions, estate sales and antique shows. It was my job to find deals we could turn into profits, scoping out fine art and furniture. In 2010, I returned to the antique business full-time appraising antiques, collectibles and memorabilia, expanding the family business to Florida. I have since returned to my roots in Chicago where I live and work today.

I've appraised one-of-a-kind, million-dollar collections to ordinary garage sale finds and everything in between. I've appraised items for museums, universities, artists, professional athletes and many institutions. My expertise has saved clients from unnecessary court costs, insured valuable heirlooms and helped many get top dollar from auction houses and antique stores. I am passionate about my trade and eager to help others get the best value for their antiques and collectibles. I have appraised more than $25 million in antiques, collectibles, fine art and furniture since 2012.

I am available for consultations in person within the Chicago area or remotely online. Please contact me directly to schedule a consultation.

Fair market value appraisals are available for a small flat fee or an hourly basis for larger collections. Appraisal reports for insurance, legal or tax purposes are billed on an hourly basis. I also consign select items for clients.

Contact: 312.723.6991 or grantmiller@grantmillerappraisals.com or facebook.com/grantmillerappraisals.