Review: The Cash in the Attic app
You know Cash In The Attic, the TV show? I’ve just had the chance to try out their new iPhone app and thought you might be interested in how it works. The app’s free to download, and then there’s an expert valuation fee of £6.99 for each item you’d like to have checked, which includes an official valuation certificate.
At first glance, the app is nicely laid out when you open it. The instructions and terms and conditions are very clear, and it’s easy to use, even for the non technically minded.
I confess that I was a bit stumped about what to have valued, but then remembered we’d recently been given something after a family house clearance. It’s a metal inkwell that nobody seemed to know much about, and we’d essentially taken it in to be polite as it didn’t go with any of our other decor. We weren’t planning on selling it and didn’t think it was worth anything in particular, but wondered if it had an interesting history of some sort.
Sending the information in
Requesting the valuation was simple and straightforward. I took pictures of the inkwell with my phone’s camera in good daylight, and sent them over along with all the other relevant details I could think of. The app allows you to send up to six photos and a short video too, if required.
Shortly after sending this in, an email arrived to confirm that I’d successfully requested a valuation certificate. Then I went about the rest of my day, having been told that the valuation would be made within 48 hours. I didn’t have to wait that long, and it came back within one working day, again announced by an email.
The valuation arrives
The valuation was an interesting read, and provided information that I would not have easily found for myself, so I was glad of the expertise and knowledge of the valuer. It turns out that the novelty inkwell is a replica of an Edwardian fireman’s helmet, and that there are buoyant markets both for fire service memorabilia and for novelty inkwells.
There was also information about the likely value of the item if sold on an auction site or public auction. The estimate was £40 to £60, and I was also advised that a very similar inkwell had recently sold for £100. I was a bit surprised it was potentially worth that much, but it was definitely a nice surprise.
If we did ever decide to sell the inkwell, we now have an official certificate of valuation. This, for example, could be added to an eBay listing and would be useful for setting a guide price. It would also be a reassuring thing for potential buyers to read, and increased buyer confidence can lead to higher bids.
Even if you have no intention of selling, it might also be handy to have certain items valued to see whether it’s worth adding them to your home contents insurance.
To sum up: a useful app that gives you expert advice and an evaluation certificate for a reasonable fee. It’s very fuss-free and convenient, and could help you gain a better price at auction or put the right things on your home insurance.
