How to Determine the Value of Quilts
Valuing quilts requires knowledge of history and art as well as appraisal techniques. The role of quilts as useful bed covers and as art combines with provenance, age and design to weave a story with a value at the end. Quilts are traditional Americana, or what women did with scraps of fabric after making the kids' clothes. Some women were artisans in the style and assembly of the quilt, and others were not so talented. All quilts have some value, but some will not increase in value.
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Instructions
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Look at the condition. Condition is an important facet in appraising a textile. Look for wear on the binding and edges, stains, holes and serious damage. A cutter quilt is one that is good for making bears, purses, baby quilts and lap quilts, so a quilt that you cannot salvage full size can still have value.
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Examine the stitching. An older quilt will be completely hand-stitched. The more stitches per inch and the more even and perfect the stitching the more valuable a quilt will be. Look at the matching at the points and corners where sections meet for accuracy in construction. Newer quilts with sewing machine quilting have little value as collectibles. Quilts with fancy embroidery stitches are in demand.
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Identify the fabrics. Wool quilts that have no moth holes are valued because so few have survived. Cottons were common quilt fabrics up until the 1960s when polyester and cotton fabrics became available. Double knit fabrics were popular in the 1970s and 1980s.
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Attempt to determine the age of the quilt. Older quilts are usually more valuable than newer ones. Hold the quilt to the light and look for seeds in the cotton. Old cotton batting had seeds; new batting does not have seeds. Learn some history of colors and fashion. Dark wools are often Civil War era fabrics, while feedsacks were 1930s and 1940s quilt fabrics. Find the pattern name. Some quilt patterns were fashionable during a specific era of America history, and learning the name of the pattern may direct you to the era.
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Look for names, dates, provenance or pictures. Lay the quilt out on a level surface like a bed where you can look at it from a distance. Check the backside for faint writing on the fabric. Quilters used feed sacks for backing, and bleaching took most, but not all, of the identification off the bag. Look in the corners on the front and along the edge for a name of the maker, often cross-stitched into a corner block. Ask the owner about the provenance, and ask if there are photographs that include the quilt. Check the artistic merit -- how the colors work together, the design, the overall appeal of the quilt. Measure the size of the quilt. The double-bed quilt is most popular for collectors. Make a list of the qualities that add value to a quilt.
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Compare the attributes of your quilt with priced quilts in antiques shops and collectibles malls as well as at quilt shows. Give your quilt a plus for every quality it has that is better than the priced one, and a minus for every attribute that is not as nice as the priced one. If you have more pluses than minuses, your quilt should be more valuable, and more minuses than pluses should make it less valuable. Ask for help if you have difficulty; many quilt lovers enjoy sharing knowledge.
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Tips & Warnings
Colors can help date quilts. For example, teal and chartreuse were colors from the 1950s, and pink and gray were used in combination in fabrics during that era. The 1970s fashions included gold and avocado.
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Resources
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