Appraising a car is the act of determining a market value after considering factors such as age, vintage, rarity, mileage and comparable sales. Appraising the value of an automobiles is a skill that anyone can learn but few actually master.

During a formal appraisal, a specialist will inspect the car and determine if the make and model fall outside modern appraisal standards. An example would be appraising the value of a classic car, such as a 1970 Mercedes or a 1765 BMW. This model is outside a normal Blue Book check. A specialist would have to determine if a comparable model has sold at auction recently, if the car has original parts, and what the current market is paying for such models.