If you are a trust and estate attorney, bank trust officer, or fiduciary responsible for an estate with significant personal property, A Little Unlimited was built with you in mind. Led by Bill Little, CAGA — a Certified Personal Property Appraiser through the Certified Appraisers Guild of America, USPAP-compliant — our practice provides defensible valuations and full settlement accounting suitable for estate tax filings (IRS Form 706), equitable distribution among heirs, insurance scheduling, and charitable contribution documentation.
We understand what is at stake when you recommend a vendor to a client or a court. Our practice has been built from the ground up to operate with the accountability, documentation, and discretion that fiduciary contexts demand. We do not take on every estate. We take on the ones where our expertise creates real value — and where the stakes of handling it correctly are highest.
Every engagement begins with a comprehensive walkthrough and categorization by value tier. We document what is present before a single item is priced, giving you and your client a clear picture of what the estate contains.
We price using current auction records, active dealer data, and live spot prices — not guesswork. For jewelry, coins, couture, Chinese antiques, and art glass, that research methodology makes a material difference in recovery value.
We produce complete post-sale settlement accounting — itemized, organized, and formatted for estate records and probate filings. You will have documentation of how value was assessed and realized, not just a check at the end of the sale.
You will hear from us directly at every meaningful milestone. No intermediaries, no chasing. We understand that professionals managing complex estates need clear, timely information — and we provide it.
The way an estate is presented affects what it recovers. We stage and present with the same care as a high-quality auction preview — attracting vetted buyers, collectors, and dealers who can pay market prices.
We serve families during some of the most sensitive transitions of their lives. Our team operates with the same discretion you would expect of any professional working in a fiduciary context. Client privacy is non-negotiable.
A Little Unlimited is led by Bill Little, a CAGA-credentialed Certified Personal Property Appraiser through the Certified Appraisers Guild of America. All valuations are performed in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).
Documentation produced from our engagements is suitable for:
This level of documentation is unusual in the estate sale industry — and it is what allows us to function as a peer professional to attorneys, fiduciaries, and CPAs rather than as a typical vendor.
We work closely with a defined set of professional referral partners in the Chicago and North Shore markets — professionals who understand that the right estate sale company makes a meaningful difference to their clients and to the administration of the estate.
Managing probate or trust administration where the estate includes jewelry collections, antiques, art, coins, or specialty categories. Chicago and Cook, Lake, and DuPage County practitioners.
Trust departments and private banking teams at Northern Trust, BMO Private Bank, Wintrust Wealth, and similar institutions facing estate liquidation decisions for trust clients.
North Shore and Chicago luxury real estate agents who need a vetted, reliable estate sale specialist for clients with complex personal property — coordinating estate and property timelines seamlessly.
Fiduciaries and advisors managing high-net-worth client transitions — estate appraisers and insurance appraisers who need a reliable execution partner for complex personal property.
"We are selective about the engagements we accept. We focus on estates where our expertise creates real value — and where the estate deserves to be handled with the care and knowledge it requires. This is not a limitation. It is what makes us the right choice when the estate demands it."
Begin a ConversationWhen a general estate sale company prices a jewelry collection, a coin accumulation, or a group of Chinese antiques, they are often working from assumption. The result is either underpricing — which fails the family and the estate — or overpricing, which means items don't sell and recovery is delayed.
We bring category expertise across fine and antique jewelry, gemstones, rare coins, antiques, art glass, art pottery, vintage couture, designer furnishings, and the specialty collections that often define an estate. Bill is a CAGA-credentialed Certified Personal Property Appraiser, is pursuing GIA gemological credentials, and conducts his own market research using live auction data and active dealer pricing. That expertise is not incidental to what we do — it is the entire point.
For a fiduciary, that difference is not abstract. It is the difference between a settlement that reflects what the estate actually held — and one that doesn't.
We are not looking for a referral today. We are simply asking to be a resource you know about when an estate requires a specialist. A brief conversation is always welcome.