Far more honest. A product you have for sale is worth...what it sells
for, eh? Why should I be able to write off a donation of a clapped-out
old Junkercraft for $100,000, when it only fetches $9,000 at sale?

Is it worth what is brings at a distress sale, or what it could reasonably
expect to retail for?

There is certainly abuse in the current system, and I saw some of that when I
was involved in that industry. Your example of an appraisal being 11 times what
an asset is sold for is pretty extreme.

Once you have donated an asset to a charitable organization, you lose control
over how it is marketed. Cash-strapped charities often dump donations to make
payroll, rent, meet program funding commitments, etc.

If you pay $100,000 for a Junkercraft, take good care of it for a few years,
add some upgrades, and then get an indendent survey for $100,000 it's worth a
figure closer to that $100,000 than the $9,000 you suggested in the
hypothetical example.