English Armchair, ca. 1780

Appraised on: August 6, 2011

Appraised in: Atlanta, Georgia

Appraised by: Andrew Holter

Category: Furniture

Episode Info: Atlanta, Hour 1 (#1613)

Originally Aired: April 16, 2012

IMAGE: 1 of 1  

Appraisal Video: (1:00)

GUEST: I brought you an American, I think, Chippendale chair that my mother gave me.

APPRAISER: Okay, and any idea of what she paid for the chair?

GUEST: I think it was around $3,000.

APPRAISER: $3,000, okay. Well, when we take a look at the chair, it's kind of quirky. It's got these scooped-out arms, and probably the most elaborate arm supports with these scrolled volutes that we see.

GUEST: Oh, yeah, I see.

APPRAISER: You just don't see these type of scrolled volutes in American chairs.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: And then we take a closer look and look at this worm damage. I hope I don't ruin your day if I tell you...

GUEST: It's okay.

APPRAISER: This is going to be an English chair, not an American chair.

GUEST: Ah, that's okay.

APPRAISER: We just don't see that type of worm in American chairs. As an English chair, made between about 1770 and 1790, you're probably looking in the $300 to $500 or $400 to $600 range at auction.

GUEST: You're kidding. Wow.

APPRAISER: It's the difference between an American chair and an English. It's about a tenth of the value.

GUEST: Wow.