Glen,

It can be very difficult to find a suitable appraisor.  It would have to
be someone who knows both species and values exceptionally well.  A
malacologist from a major museum might know the species well, but have
little knowledge of current retail values.  Someone fairly local would
be preferable, unless you want travel and lodging expenses added to the
appraisal cost.  Appraising a large shell collection is a fairly
time-consuming job.  It isn't like doing a walk-through appraisal of a
home.  The appraisor cannot individually assess each specimen of course,
or the job would take weeks.  So, it has to be someone who can overview
a drawer, visually pick out and note any specimens of exceptional value
(which means verifying the identification on the spot), approximate the
number of specimens in the drawer, and make a reasonably accurate
assessment of the average value of the remaining specimens in the
drawer, considering not only species represented, but also apparent
average quality.  For a drawer of volutes or cones, in which a number of
specimens may have high value, this can take considerably longer than
for a drawer of Nassariidae, where you can say "250 specimens at $1.00
apiece - $250.00".  Of course, finding someone who is qualified to do it
is only the first step.  In my experience, most people who are qualified
to make such an appraisal simply don't have the time to do it, or are
uninterested for other reasons.

Paul M.