Document!!

Fellow HAMB'rs:

As an appraiser, I am called upon from time-to-time to hypothetically value a subject. That most often occurs following some traumatic event when that subject has been seriously harmed, fully destroyed or that plus removed such that no hulk remains. When facing such a task, owner do***entation of what the subject was, how it was created, built, restored, re-created or modified and how it was conformed as a finished project. Lacking such information, I am - all tool often - required to make "Extraordinary ***umptions" so as to provide some basic perspective upon which to found a value opinion.

I write this having just completed such a project. Much of the necessary information outlined above was missing. The claimant suffered thereby.

PLEASE ... as you go forward with any restoration, re-creation or custom project ... OBSESSIVELY DO***ENT both process and results (digital color photographs, no cell photos, please). And keep receipts and/or photocopies thereof. Otherwise, should "life" happen to what you value, being made whole for that loss is a vacant dream.

PLEASE.

 

You make a valid point,,we tend to invest a lot of hard earned fun tickets in pursuit of our idea of the Hot Rod or Custom of our dreams.

I started out taking photos just to do***ent my progress of bringing back to life the sad remains of my wife's "Ranch Wagon" and interestingly enough kept all the receipts and threw them in a drawer in the file cabinet with the thoughts of adding them up someday,,,,

I will never total them up unless there is some catastrophic claim,,but I will be able to confirm my claims. HRP

 

most people do not want to pay for a appr, till they need it I have been asked many time to do after stolen or damage car apprs I will not get involved

 

I keep a pretty good account of my projects on Excel. Though I try not to look very often. Plenty of pics. on my computer as well.

 

I've been doing it for years. It helps when I want to replace something and want to confirm the parts number.