I have never written a review of a business before until now, but I feel so strongly about the service I received I feel obligated to do so. I had to deal with some collector cars that my husband had before his passing. I was uneducated on them and had no idea what they were or what their values were. I contacted the different appraisers here in Washington including Prestige Collector Car Appraisal. In speaking with the owner, Greg Prince, I was impressed with his kindness and willingness to help. He was understanding of my situation, compassionate and was full of useful information. After our conversation I was convinced he was the correct choice. He came down and personally evaluated each car. He was very respectful using gloves when touching the cars. He explained some issues he saw and gave me some suggestions on what to do to prepare them for sale. He stayed in contact with me going over each report to ensure I understood the values and why they were priced that way. He helped with avenues on where to sell the vehicles and made some contacts with people he knew for possible purchases. This was far and above of what I expected with no extra cost requested. Greg genuinely wanted to help, and his services were very appreciated. I do not know what else to say but thank you so much for your professionalism, caring, and knowledge.
Jan W. Simpson, Olympia WA 5/24
I contacted Greg Prince of Prestige Collector Car Appraisal as I was interested in purchasing a high end muscle car. I am out of state and needed to find someone who was very knowledgeable to evaluate the car before I purchased it as I was unable to travel out myself. I initially contacted Lemay Americas Car Museum to see if they had a person who could assist me. They highly recommended Greg. I spoke with Greg at length on the phone telling him what car I was interested in, checking to see the amount of knowledge he had on it. I was very impressed with Greg who even stating details I was not aware of. The car was in a private collection in Seattle and was said to be ready for the evaluation. When Greg arrived, it was not set aside and was still in a grouping of cars (it was supposed to be out in the open and on a lift). Greg made the best of a bad situation, including crawling under the car, cracking the lens on his camera trying to photograph the engines identification numbers. He was finally able to get a clear viewing and determined that the stamping had been altered and that the car was a fake. He called me as he left and explained the situation, gave me a long report on what he found and the conditions he had to deal with. I sent the photographs he forward to me to my local expert on these cars and they confirmed that the numbers were altered, and the car was indeed a fake. Greg saved me from making a very expensive mistake. I can not thank him enough for his determination and his knowledge. I highly recommend Greg Prince of Prestige Collector Car Appraisal. You will not be disappointed.
Joel Mason, WI 2/24
I requested the services from Prestige Collector Car Appraisal for a couple of cars that were in my father's estate that needed to be sold. I contacted Greg Prince and had a long initial conversation with him on the cars and the process. He was very up front with helpful information. I decided to go with his services and arranged a meeting time. The evaluations took some time but he was very in depth, checking each car thoroughly. I thought I knew about the cars but he brought up observations I did not realize. His reports were lengthy, complete and detailed. Initially I did not agree with his values, especially on one car. I called him to question his valuations. He spent over an hour explaining to me how he came up with the price. I understood but still questioned the figure. He suggested an auction site which I used and was able to sell one of the cars at very close to his value. It turns out he was right. Greg is a very knowledgeable person who takes the time to try and ensure his clients are fully satisfied. He gave me a good suggestion on some pre sale prep work and a good suggestion for an auction site. Thank you Greg for your professionalism and knowledge.
Peter L. Puyallup WA 7/23
Our family suffered an unfortunate passing of our father who had numerous collector cars. We contacted another appraiser who was nice but didn't seem to be very knowledgeable on the cars we had and was advised the official report was not even done by himself, but an out of state company. We then contacted Mr. Prince with Prestige Collector Car Appraisal. He spoke with me answering all my questions. He was very sympathetic to our situation and appeared to be quite knowledgeable. He came out and had to spend 2 days going over the cars. He pointed items out to us that we were not aware of, and was very respectful of the cars, down to using gloves when evaluating. Our lawyer was extremely pleased with the reports, very detailed. He was even able to help us find a buyer for some of the vehicles and never asked for compensation, though we did anyway. I can not overstate his kindness, professionalism and quality of work. I can't recommend him enough. Thank you Greg!
R. C.
Seattle WA. 1/24/2023
- I contacted Prestige Collector Car Appraisal for a classic car I recently purchased, needing an appraisal for insurance purposes. Mr. Prince spent over an hour with me on the phone listening to my situation, giving some very useful information. Mr. Prince was very knowledgeable and helpful. He came out to my house, spent almost 2 hours going over the car, taking numerous photos, writing down notes as he went along. He pointed out some safety concerns to me and some areas that could be addressed to make the car look better. He was very professional and courteous. I then received the report in the mail 5 days later. It was 8 pages long, very detailed and included all the photos on a zip drive. Also included was a sheet on how to take care of a classic car with todays products and a suggestion and what type of insurance to get, explaining that my homeowners insurance may not be the best for my car and why. This was very helpful. My new insurance company specializes in classic cars and loved the report, no issues insuring for the stated value. I never thought I would receive this kind of service from a simple request for an appraisal. He is not the cheapest, but what you get for your money is more than worth it.
Pam W. Kent WA
- Greg Prince handled my entire late father's collection of classic cars, motorcycles, and a variety of classic trucks of over 20 vehicles. A big job for one person, but not for Greg. He meticulously evaluated each vehicle in person and in post-visit research to develop premium appraisals that were 7-10 pages of quality market analysis and a very detailed evaluation of each vehicle. Not only were his reports accurately detailed but his professional process ensured his customer was fully informed every step of the way. He also advised of selling options for maximum buyer exposure after the viewing and analysis were complete. Greg was very flexible and eager to assist me in any way possible. After working with Greg this year (2021), I wouldn't recommend anyone else but Prestige Collector Car Appraisal. Thanks again Greg
Josh, Seattle WA
-I was looking to buy a collector car in Washington and spoke with Greg. My first conversation with him lasted approximately 20 minutes. He explained the inspection process and his history with classic cars and inspections and it just blew me away! He has experience with Concours cars and car show judging. After our initial conversation I knew I could trust him to look at the car and give me a through inspection report. Right after he was done with the inspection (which took over an hour maybe 2 hours) he called me to give me a verbal inspection report. He was extremely thorough with his inspection and verbal report. The seller even mentioned how knowledgeable Greg was. He called me right afterward and gave me a detailed report. After speaking with Greg I knew exactly what I was purchasing. His inspection and report was farrrrrr superior to anything I could have done, seen, or noticed. I am truly appreciative of all of Greg's help. The day after the inspection Greg called me after researching comparables and gave me a value on the car. That's all I needed and purchased the car and it was exactly as he described it. I wouldn't have been able to be as confidant on the purchase if it was not for Greg's professional inspection and report. I will strongly recommend him to anyone looking to purchase a classic car in the Seattle area! A.H. Los Angeles CA
I contacted Greg Prince to appraise a collection of specialty European collector cars including Ferraris. He was very professional over the phone and decided to hire him. I was very pleased with his knowledge and caring as this was an estate I was having to deal with. The reports were quite detailed with the lawyer having no issues what so ever. I would recommend Greg Prince to anyone needing this service. Kathy R. WA
- Contemplating purchasing my first street rod vehicle and the owner of this Company, Greg Prince, spent over an hour helping me with the many questions I had. Greg will be my choice in appraising the street rod prior to making a purchase. Greg is very knowledgeable, trustworthy and willing to help. When having a vehicle appraised, consider contacting Greg Prince. F. T. Orlando FL car value
I contacted Prestige Collector Car Appraisal and talked to Greg Prince with regards to appraising my husbands estate including 4 collector cars. He was very informative spending a long time answering all my questions, giving me suggestions before I even hired him. He was very helpful in looking over the cars, doing in depth reports on each, advising me what to do, what work should be done, identifying hazards and suggesting sites to sell the vehicles. In my opinion he went above and beyond what I expected. He was a kind respectful man who helped me through a difficult time. I highly recommend Prestige Collector Car Appraisal and Greg Prince.
J.S. Seattle WA
I contacted Prestige Collector Car Appraisal with regards to a very difficult divorce involving numerous expensive collector cars. My ex hired an appraiser and reported his findings which my lawyer felt were too low. After a long consult with Greg Prince I hired him to appraise the cars on my behalf. His reports were very extensive and detailed with lengthy explanations on how the values were obtained. This was very useful as the case went to court. Greg Prince was called on to testify and explain his findings. He did an excellent job on the stand and the judge ruled with every one of his values as opposed to the other appraiser's. I can not thank
Greg Prince and Prestige enough for helping me out.
G.M. Seattle WA
PICKING THE RIGHT APPRAISER
Probably the best, and most important, question one could ask when checking on a possible appraiser., " Is the appraised value what i can expect when selling the vehicle?" The average person will see a number on a report and assume that is the value the vehicle would sell for. That COULD be true, but there is A LOT MORE that goes into making a correct and legal report that will determine if that number has any factual basis. Let's take a look.
Nobody, no matter how good the appraiser is, can guarantee a vehicle will achieve the appraised valve. There are so many extenuating factors; venue, people present, how well was it advertised, current economic conditions, current market position to name just a few. So, why then the need for a report. Well, the report and value, if done correctly, will give the best likely value if the vehicle was at a CORRECT venue auction on any given current day This is not an exact science, more of a best (hate to use the word) guesstimate given all of the factual data and condition of the vehicle. There are a lot of factors that affect this guesstimate, lets break it down.
When determining valuation, the first step is doing a proper, in depth, evaluation of the car IN PERSON. The evaluator has to be very knowledgeable of the vehicle they are evaluating. Has to be very thorough in going through every aspect of the vehicle, documenting every blemish, modification and concern. Noting all of the good aspects as well as the bad. Paint meter readings, mirrors, magnifying glasses, creepers if no lift is available, Boar scopes for those hard-to-reach places are just some of the tools that are needed to do an accurate once over. (If they do not use these, or show the knowledge of the vehicle, or willing to spend the time evaluating the vehicle, FIND ANOTHER APPRAISER). The appraiser needs to take numerous photos and notes to document each finding. They have to be able to crawl under the vehicle, use lights if needed, in other words, get down and dirty. Documenting all these factors is vital to compiling an accurate, correct report. One MUST be able to tell the difference between correct and restamped vin tags and numbers. Be able to tell if an engine's stamp pad has been planed off and restamped. Know what a broach mark is. Know what is correct fount on stampings and what is not. Has to be able to tell what is original factory paint and what is not. Tell if a body panel has been replaced or if it is the original factory piece. All of this and so much more is needed if the evaluator/appraiser is ligament. Contracting an appraiser just because they are "certified" does not mean anything in the collector car world. Certification means you took a short online coarse that deals in the very basics of the automotive world. It is more geared to determining post accident valuation cost for repairs than determining valuation on a collector car. That knowledge is only obtained in years and years of exposure, studies and hands on work. IN WASHINGTON STATE, COLLECTOR/CLASSIC CAR APPRAISERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE CERTIFIED. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT APPRAISER IS KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THE COLLECTOR CAR MARKET,
Next is the "not fun" part of hours and hours of research, computer work and typing. Though time consuming and at times monotonous, this part will make or break the report. You will see various versions of reports out there. The cheap, lazy report will be done by sent in photos to a national company with a form filled out with boxes checked and a value written down and little else. These quickie, sent in reports, are basically worthless and rarely will they stand up legally. The vehicle was never evaluated in person by a qualified person. The reports say nothing about true condition of the car, show no comparables and nothing to justify the value given. In other words, A WAIST OF MONEY AND TIME. The next report you may see will have an actual person evaluate the car, unknown to their qualifications, will complete a typed report with short statements on different aspects, may or may not have some comparables and a value (again, no justification on how the value was achieved). Though more in-depth than the mailed in report but still falling a good amount short of a good professional report that truely tells you exactly what you have and justifies how the value was achieved. I can not state how important this is as there are many reasons for having a professional report done: To determine fair market value for selling the vehicle (Very important as to ensure the seller knows what to set a reserve at so they do not undercut themselves OR overprice it where no activity is achieved). Having a pre-sale report done is very beneficial if it is very detailed, as it will benefit out of state buyers when they need reassurance by a qualified person on what exactly the vehicle is with no transparency. Another reason for a report is in legal situations, i.e. divorces, and estates. Here, most likely at least one of the parties is not as knowledgeable about the vehicles or the market and needs help in determining true market value. Especially in these cases, exact, legally written reports are essential with attention to detail, facts and figures that is carefully written to withstand legal scrutiny. This is where you stick your neck out as an appraiser and thus you better be damn good. Another request would be for a prepurchase evaluation and report on value. Here again, extreme care and due diligence need to be done by a reputable, knowledgeable appraiser. This is because the client is basing whether or not to buy the car based on your evaluations and report. If you are not correct in any way, you can be set up for legal and financial problems.
Lastly is the determination of comparables and justifying your valuation. Finding camparables is not just going online and finding some cars sold and saying there is your proof. There is a lot of work that takes place to do it CORRECTLY. You need to know WHICH AUCTIONS to use and which to not use. Today, auction houses and sites tend to specialize in a vehicle or vehicle types. It is essential to understand this and properly choose the right sites for the vehicle you are appraising. Going with an auction house that rarely deals with say a Porsche will give false values that do not represent what the true market is, often much lower. You must go to the sites that the people looking for that vehicle will visit to get a true vision of what the real market is saying. Comparable vehicles need to be like in nature or show a significance in determining valuation and must be stated as such. At times the appraiser must use their discretion and objective reasoning to adjust what the comparables are telling to best fit the type or condition of the vehicle in question. Here again, years of experience is the key. Justifying the value in a SUMMARY section is critical as this is where the entire report is summed up, the current market is explained and how the appraised value was achieved. Again critical in all aspects.
NOTE: BE VERY WARRY OF ANY APPRAISER WHO STATES THAT USING AUCTION RESULTS DOES NOT GIVE TRUE MARKET VALUES. THIS STATEMENT IS REDICULIOUS AS THE ONLY OTHER SALES OUT THERE ARE PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS AND THOSE ARE NOT STATED ON THE INTERNET AND THUS HAVE NO WAY OF BEING DOCUMENTED AND USED IN A REPORT. COMPARABLE VEHICLES MUST BE SOLD VEHICLES! USE OF, "FOR SALE", VALUES IS TOITALLY WORTHLESS AS ANYONE CAN ASK ANY PRICE FOR A VEHICLE. IT MUST BE A LIKE, SOLD VEHICLE, TO BE A COMPARABLE.
I have been a professional collector car appraiser for over 25 years now. I have done 100 plus car collections, multi-million-dollar rare classics as well as high end customs and resto-mods, countless full classics and pre wars to foreign and everything in between to a Ford Pinto. Each report, regardless of the condition and value of the vehicle gets the same evaluation, the same amount of time spent on the report, the same amount of detail and the same amount of pride in producing a professional accurate report. I have been stated by the law firms and insurance companies i have worked with to provide the most accurate and detailed reports. They are 8-9 pages of writings alone and are done to the best of my abilities. I have gone to court numerous times in disputes over collector car values and have had the judges go with my values EVERY TIME over the other parties appraiser values.