If your ancestor’s chattel goods were sold at auction after their death, is there also a valuation of the specific property? Comparing the appraised value of items to the same value can be interesting.
Actual prices can vary quite a bit, depending on the item, who is bidding on it, and how badly they want to purchase it. What’s more interesting is to see how the values of items purchased by close family members compare to the appraised value. I’ve seen a few cases where the prices paid by the widow were a fraction of the appraised value and items purchased by others were closer to the appraised value.
The sale of items may have been a legal necessity, but in some locations, neighbors may have avoided serious bidding if a member of the family was trying to purchase something.
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