The Mariners' Museum is a collecting institution. We rely on the generous donation of artifacts from public and private sources as a way of expanding or filling gaps in the collection. To discuss a donation please contact the Collections Department by telephone at (757) 591-7764, through email at collections@mariner.org, or by letter (Collections Department, The Mariners' Museum, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, VA 23606). When contacting the Museum please include a full description of your object, its history, and several detailed photographs.

After we receive your initial inquiry you will be contacted by a staff member who will gather additional information about the object and present your donation to the Museum’s Collections Committee. The Collections Committee is the Museum body responsible for the oversight of the collection and is composed of staff from several different departments. The committee, which meets once a month, will evaluate your object and determine whether to accept it into the Museums collections.

If the Committee accepts your donation you will be contacted by the Office of Collections Management to complete the donation process. You will be asked to sign a Deed of Gift, which is the document that officially transfers the ownership of the object to The Mariners' Museum. On that document you will be asked to assign a value to the object and record how you wish the donation to be recognized. Once the paperwork is completed, the Office of Collections Management will make arrangements to have object brought to the Museum.

a. What if I don’t know the value of the object I have donated?

If you are unsure of how to place a value on your object there are several methods you might find helpful in locating the fair market value of your item. The easiest method is to research your object on the Internet to see how dealers or other sellers are listing similar items. Catalogues of auction houses like Christie’s or Sotheby’s may also be useful in determining an appropriate value. If you are still unsure, please contact the Office of Collections Management or the attending curator for additional assistance.

b. How do I locate an appraiser?

If you wish to have a certified appraisal completed for your object, the following websites may provide information on appraisers in your area:

• International Society of Appraisers
• American Society of Appraisers
• Appraisers Association of America, Inc.
• American Association of Independent Appraisers

Each of these organizations offers a directory of appraisers by specialty and some directories allow you to search for specific specialties by location.

While the Museum can provide assistance in locating an appropriate appraiser(s) it cannot commission the work to be completed on the donors behalf.

c. When is an appraisal required?

If you intend to take a tax deduction and your object is valued at or over $5,000.00 the Internal Revenue Service requires that a certified appraisal be performed within a period of sixty days of the donation.

d. Who is responsible for the cost of the appraisal?

The cost of having an appraisal completed on a donated item(s) is the responsibility of the donor. If necessary, the Museum will facilitate the process by provided access to or photographs of the object.

e. When will my donated object be displayed?

Only a small portion of the Museum’s extensive collections are displayed within the galleries at any one time. In an effort to display as much of the collection as possible the Museum maintains an active exhibition program and a changing gallery devoted to themed displays of typically unseen segments of the collection. Uses of the collection include loans to appropriate institutions; as illustrations in publications, films, and on the Internet; in educational and public programs; and objects always available for research purposes. Unfortunately, the Museum cannot guarantee that a donated object will placed on display and cannot acquire objects with restrictions regarding usage and display.

2. Can I see an object that is currently in storage?

You can make an appointment to see materials currently in storage by contacting the Office of Collections Management at (757) 591-7764 or (757) 591-7759.

3. How do I receive an object on loan?

Please read our Outgoing Loan Policy statement for information regarding loans.
As a matter of policy, and to preserve dwindling storage space, the Museum does not accept loans of materials not specifically related to its current exhibition program.

4. How can I get information on an object I have?

The staff of the collections department can help identify objects and can undertake simple research aimed at providing additional information about an object’s history. To begin the process please send a thorough description of your object (including inscriptions or marks), provide an overview of any known history or provenance, and several detailed photographs to the collections department. They can be reached through email at collections@mariner.org or by regular post to: The Mariners' Museum, Collections Department, 100 Museum Drive, Newport News, Virginia 23606. Upon receipt, the inquiry will be forwarded to the appropriate curator or researcher who will send an answer as quickly as possible.

5. How can I tell if my scrimshaw is real?

If you are unsure about the authenticity of a piece of scrimshaw it is usually a good idea to check the publication entitled Fakeshaw: A Checklist of Plastic "Scrimshaw". This wonderful little publication was produced by Stuart Frank and The Kendall Whaling Museum and contains the most comprehensive information regarding synthetic scrimshaw. A searchable format of the publication is available on The Kendal Whaling Museum’s website.

6. Where can I get my ship model repaired?

The most complete and up-to-date list of ship model repairers and restorers can be found on the website of the Nautical Research Guild.

For more information, e-mail collections@mariner.org.