[rodi]

does it work? test it out.
battery in it? corroded? get a new battery to put it in before you go get it cleaned.
test the shutter. get some cheap film and shoot a roll, process it and see.
do this before paying $$$ for a cleaning that you may not need.

i've recovered a couple 30 yrs+ old 35mm cameras recently (one that i used to beat up as a toy when i was a child). and also a medium-format hasselblad from the 70s that had been in the same spot since 1983. none of them needed professional cleaning and shoot wonderfully. (granted only one was a type that used a battery) can't remember for sure if the AE-1 allowed mechanical use without a battery.