Edward C Kitson, ISA AM, Antiques, Furnishings + Decorative Arts
Contact
Edward C Kitson
ISA member since Feb 07, 2017
(207) 888-1778 (Office)
(413) 579-6839 (Office)
Address #1
Aves Appraisal, LLC
New Harbor, ME 04554
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Address #2
Aves Appraisal, Valuation & Estate Services, LLC
Shelburne Falls , MA 01370
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About
Website
https://www.avesappraisal.com/
About
Edward Kitson is the founder and owner of Aves Appraisal, a personal property appraisal and consulting company actively working throughout the New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island as well as adjacent portions of New York. Selected projects further afield are undertaken too, with specialty appraisals performed in other locations such as Oregon and Washington. Consultation work has been conducted nationwide with professional and non-profit partners in Florida, Texas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Canada.
Aves Appraisal helps clients identify, evaluate, and manage assets toward goals outlined by the trustee, executor, or legal owner. We provide cost-effective, objective, independent and unbiased values for fine art, antiques, furniture, books, ceramics, firearms, sculpture, lighting, silver, general residential contents and much more (see list below). Appraisals are performed for a variety of services including state and federal estate tax, probate, equitable distribution, non-cash charitable gift donation, and insurance.
For a brief orientation to personal property appraisals see our quick guide: https://www.avesappraisal.com/property-appraisals-quick-guide
Edward began his career as a professional archaeologist, mostly in Northeastern North America, with some time spent in the Pacific Northwest. He is a specialist in stone tools, historic and prehistoric ceramics, soils and research project management at large scales.
Edward then spent 10 years running and growing an upscale resale operation for a mid-sized non-profit organization. He founded multiple retail outlets, a world-wide online business and a well-read material culture information and sales blog.
He moved into the private sector, ran high-end estate sales and conducted appraisals while delivering excellent value and superior service for customers and clients in the Pacific Northwest, centered around Portland, Oregon.
While maintaining consulting appraisal contacts in the Northwest, Edward returned to the Northeast in 2019. He is the founder of Aves Appraisal LLC. Edward works throughout all of New England including Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, eastern New York and other locations as needed (see list below).
Edward has extensive experience with general residential contents, including as an appraiser, as a former retail dealer, estate liquidator and current hobbyist seller. He has an abiding interest and expertise in 20th Century Art Pottery, Modern Glass, and Mid-Century Modern Furniture and Decor. He has had experience with museum quality collections of Silver, Antique Firearms, Telescopes, Meteorites and other objects.
Recent projects include:
- Estate appraisal for a large, high value coastal New England estate.
- Insurance appraisal of selected items in a refined Connecticut River valley collection.
- Insurance loss claim appraisal for diverse personal property, heirlooms and antiques.
- Donation appraisal of materials and equipment to a university art department.
- Insurance appraisal of an important legacy collection of Early American furniture and decor, including china and silver.
- Insurance appraisal of important Presidential associated books.
- Donation appraisal and historical research for family heirloom furniture with association to a regionally prominent early American family.
- Insurance appraisal of important artworks held by a small, rural public institution.
- Insurance appraisal of a significant collection of mid-century modern ceramics, silver, art, furniture and associated library. Edward was the primary appraiser for the books and provided significant professional assistance for the remaining objects.
- Donation appraisal for a collection of leaves from Incunables (books printed before 1500 AD).
- Donation appraisal of contemporary sculptures.
- Estate appraisal including a number of works by Hudson River School artists.
- Estate appraisal of a ‘well-filled’ house including historic books and 19th century commemorative objects (medallions, ephemera).
- Estate appraisal including a collection of historic telescopes, optical and scientific equipment and early printed books (incunabula and post-incunabula).
- Fair market valuation of cabinetry by a significant 18th century Boston cabinet maker.
- Estate visits to assist families with identification of potentially valuable contents.
Verbal evaluations and consultation for value discovery, planning and increased owner knowledge are also offered.
Service Areas
Aves Appraisal actively works throughout the New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island as well as adjacent portions of New York. Selected projects further afield are undertaken too, with specialty appraisals performed in other locations such as Oregon and Washington.
Locations we service include (but are not limited to):
- Maine
- Bangor
- Bar Harbor
- Biddeford
- Boothbay Harbor
- Brunswick
- Camden
- Cape Elizabeth
- Carabassett Valley
- Damariscotta
- Falmouth
- Farmington
- Kennebunk
- Kittery
- Lewiston
- Mount Desert Island
- Portland
- Rockport
- Saco
- Scarborough
- Thomaston
- Waterville
- Yarmouth
- York
- New Hampshire
- Concord
- Derry
- Dover
- Hampton
- Hanover
- Hudson
- Lebanon
- Londonderry
- Manchester
- Merrimack
- Nashua
- Newmarket
- Portsmouth
- Rochester
- Salem
- South Hooksett
- Vermont
- Bennington
- Bellows Falls
- Brattleboro
- Burlington
- Colchester
- Essex Junction
- Hartford
- Milton
- Montpelier
- Morrisville
- Rutland
- St. Albans
- St. Johnsbury
- Swanton
- Vergennes
- Williston
- Winooski
- Rutland
- Massachusetts
- Boston
- Brookline
- Cambridge
- Carlisle
- Dover
- Fall River
- Greenfield
- Haverhill
- Hingham
- Hopkinton
- Lawrence
- Lynn
- Medfield
- Newburyport
- Newton
- Quincy
- Somerville
- Springfield
- Sudbury
- Waltham
- Wayland
- Wellesley
- Weston
- Winchester
- Rhode Island
- Bristol
- Cranston
- Cumberland
- Newport
- Pawtucket
- Providence
- Warwick
- West Warwick
- Woonsocket
- Referrals to trusted partners state wide
- Connecticut
- Avon ·
- Bridgeport
- Danbury
- Darien
- Greenwich
- Hartford
- New Britain
- New Canaan
- New Haven
- Norwalk
- Ridgefield
- Simsbury
- Stamford
- Waterbury
- West Hartford
- Westport
- Wilton
- Referrals to trusted partners statewide
- New York
- Portions of New York adjoining Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont
- Referrals to trusted partners statewide
- Oregon and Washington
- Portland Metro and Vancouver, WA
- Salem
- Eugene
- Referrals to trusted partners available
Specialties
- Antiques
- Art
- Books
- Decorative Arts &Accessories
- Furniture
- Objet d'art & De Vertu
- Pottery
- Silver
Services
- Appraisal
- Auction Estimates
- Broker
- Consultant
- Damage Claims
- Divorce Settlements
- Donations
- Equitable Distribution
- Estate Evaluations
- Estate Probate
- Estate Sales
- Estate Tax
- Expert Witness
- Instructor
- Insurance Claims
- Investment Evaluation
- Investment Evaluations
- Non-Cash Charitable Donations
- Speaker
- Tax Deductible Gifts
Performs Appraisals Of
- Alaskan Inuit Art
- Alaskan Inuit Artifacts
- American Indigenous Art
- American Indigenous Artifacts
- Americana
- Antiquities
- Arms & Armor – Firearms
- Architectural Components
- Art
- Art - 15th-18th Century
- Art - 19th Century
- Art - 20th Century
- Art - African
- Art - American
- Art - Animation
- Art - British
- Art - Canadian
- Art - Deco & Nouveau
- Art - European
- Art - Folk
- Art - Impressionist & Modern
- Art - Latin American
- Art - Middle Eastern
- Art -Native American
- Art - NW Coast Indigenous
- Art Deco & Art Nouveau
- Arts & Crafts
- Books
- Bronzes
- Business Contents/Inventories
- Ceramics
- Ceramics - American
- Ceramics - British
- Ceramics - Contemporary
- Ceramics - European
- Clocks
- Collectibles
- Collectibles - Figurines
- Collectibles - Models
- Collectibles - Music Boxes
- Collectibles - Paperweights
- Collectibles - Toys
- Crystal
- Decorative Arts & Accessories
- Dinnerware
- Documents
- Drawings
- Drawings - 19th Century
- Drawings - 20th Century
- Enamels
- Engraving & Etching
- Ephemera
- Equipment
- Equipment – Office
- Figurines
- Fossils
- Frames
- Furniture
- Furniture - 15th-18th Century
- Furniture - 19th Century
- Furniture - 20th Century
- Furniture - American
- Furniture - Art Deco & Art Nouveau
- Furniture - Asian
- Furniture - British
- Furniture - Contemporary
- Furniture - European
- Furniture - Victorian
- Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (FF&E)
- Furs
- Glass
- Judaica
- Lamps & Lighting Fixtures
- Medals & Medallions
- Memorabilia
- Militaria
- Music – Instruments
- Objet d'art & De Vertu
- Paintings
- Paintings - 19th Century
- Paintings - 20th Century
- Paintings - Contemporary American
- Paintings - Frescos/Murals
- Paintings - Impressionist & Modern
- Paintings - Latin American
- Paintings - Middle Eastern
- Paintings - Old Masters
- Paintings - Sporting
- Porcelain
- Posters
- Pottery
- Prints
- Prints - 19th Century
- Prints - 20th Century
- Prints - 20th Century Limited Edition
- Prints - Modern & Contemporary
- Primitives
- Religious Items & Artifacts
- Sculpture
- Sculpture - 19th Century
- Sculpture - 20th Century
- Sculpture - American
- Sculpture - Canadian
- Sculpture - Contemporary
- Sculpture - European
- Sculpture - Latin American
- Sculpture - Modern
- Silver
- Silver - 19th Century
- Silver - 20th Century
- Silver - American
- Silver - British
- Silver - Sterling
- Tools - Antique
- Tools - Modern
- Victoriana
- Watercolors
- Watercolors - American
- Watercolors - Contemporary
- Watercolors - European
- Wood Carvings
Website
https://www.avesappraisal.com/
Specialties
- Books
- Furniture
- Objet d'art & De Vertu
- Pottery
- Silver
Services
- Consultant
- Donations
- Equitable Distribution
- Estate Evaluations
- Estate Tax
Performs Appraisals Of
- Art
- Books
- Ceramics
- Furniture
- Silver