The answer is the same as for the person who started this thread originally. You can’t take any deduction more than $5000 for any single item or “group of similar items” without an appraisal. To claim more than $4999, you would have to divide the items into different groups (maybe furniture, clothing and jewelry would be different groups) and hope you aren’t audited.
Also note, if the only proof of your donation that you have is your handwritten list, and a blank or boilerplate or generic receipt from the organization, that may not be even enough to sustain the $5000 deduction if you are audited. The IRS may feel there is no proof that you donated the actual items on the list to the actual charity. You should try and get a representative from the charity to sign your actual list acknowledging that you donated those specific items. The charity will usually not attest as to value, but the extra signature will help prove you actually donated the items.
