Where do you get an honest antique valuation? Do they charge?

[Slightlyjaded]

Hello

I have been left a few things by a close family member - some of which i will keep and some I will have to sell. There are a couple of pieces of furniture which aren't fashionable at the moment, but are genuine antiques (mostly Georgian) and probably worth a little bit.

There are also a few boxes of 'stuff' from antique silver to stamp collections, vases and coins. I'm sure some of it is worthless but the relative who owned them knew a little about antiques so there may be the odd gem.

I have no idea where to start getting an honest valuation. Do I need different people to look at different categories of stuff? i.e. Furniture person, stamp person etc? How does it work and can anyone recommend a firm or person in the London area? Thanks!

We used Bonhams for a rather unusual piece I was given in a will. It was for insurance purposes and for the probate, and we had to pay a small amount for a written letter stating the valuation. They were super helpful and the expert could tell me lots about my item. We asked about restoration and they gave me a recommendation and some more info too.