Family heirlooms can tell alot about our ancestors!

Family heirlooms are amazing items.  I was just watching an episode of Antiques Roadshow that had a "sampler" done by a relative in the late 1700s.  The sampler was not in particular good condition and not cared for well.  In the condition it was in the expert maintained that it was still worth several thousand dollars at auction.  

We may feel our family heirlooms are priceless simply because of what they mean to us.  They show what was important to them or even what type of household they came from (poverty, middle class, affluent), but to others they are worth much more.  If you have a family heirloom, it wouldn't hurt to have it appraised, take pictures of it and place the pictures with your family history then remember to include it in your homeowner's insurance.