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Looking to sell? Auctions aren't just for bidders. They can be for sellers, too. You watch "Antiques Road Show" on Channel 2. You know you've got some goodies tucked away in the attic - that old vase Aunt Minnie left you, the doll that belonged to your grandmother. That railroad set your father got from his uncle, 50 years ago. Skinner and other auction houses offer free verbal appraisals of fair market value, quality, condition, rarity, and provenance, like those given on "Antiques Road Show." Skinner has a staff of 23 appraisers with a variety of specialties. First, you meet with a generalist, who sends you on to a specialist if appropriate. If you have something valuable on your hands - say, worth more than $300 - Skinner can act as your agent and sell it at auction. But most items brought in have more sentimental than monetary value. "Some people are thrilled, some are disappointed," says Skinner auctioneer Karen Keane, who has appeared on "Antiques Road Show." "Getting that information allows people to be smarter in how they handle their tangibles."

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