(AOL Autos) -- As long as people have been making cars, other people have been figuring out ways to evaluate what they're worth.





Kelley Blue Book offers one of the best online resources to find out how and why your car is worth X amount.





In the case of Kelley Blue Book, they've vehemently pursued vehicle values for over 80 years and offer one of the best online resources for companies and private individuals to understand how and why their cars are worth X amount of dollars.





We talked with Jack Nerad, the executive editorial director and executive market analyst for KBB.com, to explain some of the best ways that you can evaluate your vehicle's worth.





Don't fool yourself





Surprisingly, one of the problems in properly evaluating a vehicle's worth has nothing to do with the vehicle.





Think of the computer phrase IT guys like to use, "It's a PICNIC error." Which stands for "Problem-In-Chair-Not-In-Computer," meaning that nothing is really wrong with the computer, the real issue is the person using it. Nerad says that some people trick themselves into thinking their vehicle is worth more than it actually is.





"Where we get into difficulty is when people start fooling themselves about the condition of their car -- that they believe it is in excellent or pristine condition when actually if it has two or three years on it, it's going to have some miles on it, some wear and tear." AOL Autos: 2009 cars with best blue book values





You may have yelled at your family and friends every time they even considered bringing a coffee cup into the car, but it's still a used vehicle, uh, I mean pre-owned vehicle.





"Even if you've taken wonderful care of it, it's not going to be as fresh as it was when it left the showroom -- that's something people are going to have to keep in mind."





Know the true condition





Although you have to be honest with yourself about how your car compares with others on the road, taking good care of it can pay off when selling. "When you have a used car, condition, condition, condition are the three most important things," Nerad explained. AOL Autos: Best-selling sedans





"So actually assessing your car's condition is crucial to getting the right value, understanding the right value and arriving at the right value. The good news is that at our Web site we give you a checklist that you can essentially go through and it includes things like mileage, equipment levels and also an assessment of condition, which helps you arrive at the appropriate value."





Nerad said that the values KBB gives are estimated ranges of what the vehicle is worth rather than an exact dollar amount because they are factored remotely. Still, an estimate from the Web site is one of the best and simplest ways to calculate your car's worth. AOL Autos: 10 best cars of 2009





Body shops can help, but a wash and wax might be better





"Most often, it's been our experience that you're better off giving an honest discloser of the car's condition and selling it as is opposed to doing things like cosmetic changes, which can be pretty expensive and are kind of in the eye of the beholder," Nerad said.  AOL Autos: Cars with the worst values





He mentioned that the person purchasing your vehicle might not care as much about some of the minor cosmetic flaws and would rather hold onto their money than pay for a car in pristine condition.





"I don't think too many people who are buying used cars, especially over a few years old, are expecting a car to be in perfect condition or even nearly pristine condition. I think they're expecting to buy something that has a few miles on it in all senses of that term." AOL Autos: Car cleaning tips





There is a difference between taking your car to the body shop and taking your car to have a wash and wax job done, however. Appearance is still
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question: What is the name of the expert's company?, answer: KBB.com, | question: What does expert explain?, answer: best ways that you can evaluate your vehicle's worth. | question: What is one of your car's best selling points?, answer: Appearance