(music) ♪♪ -- Welcome to Mississippi Antiques Showcase.

We're in Columbus, Mississippi, with our expert appraisers to look at your rare finds, family heirlooms, and quirky collectibles.

We will see what we can learn about these unique treasures and of course, see what they might be worth.

(laughing) -- Hi, Maury, I'm Luke Edward.

I'm here to do the appraisals on your guns you brought in today.

And from what I understand, there's an interesting story behind this guy.

-- Oh, yes, definitely, there is.

This is a LeMat Revolver #227.

It was in the first shipment of 200 that were shipped to the Confederates.

Came in in July of 1862 aboard a British steamer.

Somehow it ended up in Verona, Mississippi.

And it was found near the remains of Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest's Supply Depot there.

In 1849, Johnny Sheffield was plowing a field.

He had his stepson out beside him, named Andy, and they plowed this up.

-- And that's the the fellow in the picture you brought, right?

-- Yeah, he found that 1949.

-- And it was buried in dirt?

-- Buried in dirt.

-- Awesome.

-- He turned it into a child's toy, scrubbed it with a wire brush, cleaned it up hand-carved, a set of grips on it, and even put a little nail to help secure the shotgun barrel.

-- Okay, awesome.

You brought another example of what it would look like shiny and new if it were, you know, going on.

This is a really cool gun.

You know, LeMat was a Frenchman.

And a lot of the Confederate soldiers used these LeMat guns during the Civil War.

This one is exceptionally cool.

Even though he's replaced the grips on it, or whatever, to have it like it is, it's just amazing.

I wouldn't touch this gun.

I would leave it alone.

I wouldn't clean it, I wouldn't do anything to it at all.

It is really phenomenal that this exists.

If I were to put a value on it, I would probably value it somewhere between $11,000 and $16,000.

-- Yeah.

-- It has that much value.

They're that rare.

But it was a gun of choice for a lot of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War and Civil War memorabilia is so hard to find and so rare, you know, because we were the weaker side down here, so.

But anyway, I think it's an amazing gun.

And the story behind it is incredible, too.

So what do you plan to do with it?

-- This gun is going to go on display in the National Confederate Museum.

-- Oh, you're going to donate it?

-- Yes.

Oh, yes.

-- That's noble.

-- We've got several other items on display there.

We're going to place it there with the same case.

-- So you can let somebody else enjoy it, too.

-- That's right.

No use keeping it locked up.

-- Yeah, well, I think that's an amazing story.

And tell this gentleman if you still see him, thank you for sharing, because it's just an amazing story and glad you were the one that found it.

-- Oh, thank you!

-- Good deal.

-- Hey, Robert, thank you for coming to the Mississippi Showcase today.

-- Thank you.

Glad to be here.

-- Tell me about this piece.

-- This is a lithograph that was purchased by my mother in 1953 in Scottsboro, Alabama.

My family was living there at the time, and so my mother bought the picture and that's where I was born.

So upon her passing, she left me this picture.

-- Well, it's a special piece, I can see.

This is a Madonna and Child lithograph.

But let's look at this more and look at all the detail in this.

It's after Giovanni Bellini, who was an Italian artist.

But this looks like it's a 19th-century lithograph.

And what you look for in a lithograph is the color quality.

And in this, the color quality is quite exquisite.

I mean, the pastels are still vibrant.

It hasn't had a lot of sun damage, which is what I see often with lithographs.

The sun really bleaches the work, especially in the South, when we have such humid conditions.

But you've got a great work.

The color quality is excellent and it's got nice detail.

I only see... look at this.

It's got the old wavy glass.

This was probably hand-done.

This looks like a vintage frame.

The value is not in the frame, though.

Let's turn it around and see if we can find any details on the back.

Well, I would tell you to get rid of the cardboard back because the cardboard is too acidic, and it's going to keep getting through to the work.

So every year it's going to cause damage to the works on paper.

So take this to a frame shop, have them put a conservation board on the back so you can preserve this for future generations.

-- Okay.

-- Let's flip it back to the front.

It really has exquisite detail.

It's a lovely lithograph, but because it's a lithograph, which means it's a print, and it's a multiple, I would only put $250 on this work.

-- Okay, well that's more than I expected.

-- Well, great!

-- Thank you very much.

-- Of course.

Enjoy it in your home.

-- We're here with Jimmy Orman, who has a very valuable baseball card.

Tell us about.

-- This is a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card.

And the story is 40 or 50 years ago, I purchased it for about $300, which was more money than I had at the time.

And today I was told that it was worth between $60,000 and $80,000.

$60,000 and $80,000.

-- And that's a famous New York Yankee there.

-- The best.

He's my childhood hero, of course.

So that's why I collected all of his cards through the years.

-- Mickey Mantle.

-- Yes.

Yes.

-- Now, when did you buy it?

Did you say 40 or 50 years ago?

-- 1980, yes.

-- Okay.

Yeah, yeah.

40-something years.

-- 42 years.

So it was a good investment.

-- Absolutely.

Yeah, that's the kind of, you know... not a lot of things appreciate quite like that.

Now, this is your daughter here.

And so I ask you, you didn't let her play with it?

Well, of course she would, I guess... -- I was young.

-- You were very young.

-- Thank you.

But part of it, if you could see this close, it's not a perfect card.

This card last year in a perfect condition, sold for $10 million.

-- Now it's, is it, ah, I don't-- I'm not familiar with the lingo for cards.

Is it a first edition?

Or is it a, what is it?

-- Well, no, it goes by the years.

This is actually his first card in 1951 when he was a rookie with the Yankees.

But this card is the one that's really known as his rookie card.

And it's just by the years.

By age, actually.

Age and condition.

-- Well, were you surprised at the value?

-- I was pleasantly surprised.

Yes, absolutely.

-- Okay.

Well, have you enjoyed yourself today?

I guess that's a dumb question after getting that kind of... -- It's just been a really fun day and wonderful food.

And we mixed and mingled with people who had all kinds of special things from all over Mississippi.

We've been interested to see.

-- Well, thanks so much.

Appreciate y'all.

-- Our pleasure.

We enjoyed it.

-- I love collections.

I love the fact that you have something put together as a concerted collection.

I admire that.

And I want to let you have the opportunity to let us know what you know about it.

-- Well, thank you.

I brought with me today an original photograph that was made by Alfred Eisenstadt, who made this in Berlin, Germany, November the 18th, 1932, before he came to America to become one of the world's famous photographers.

And the subject was a lady who grew up in my hometown, Ripley, Mississippi.

She studied piano at Blue Mountain College, and her professor was so impressed with her that he took her on a concert tour of Europe in 1932.

He was from Germany Hahndit Fitzner.

And this photo, as I said, was made on November 18, 1932, in Bechstein Concert Hall.

I have collected several things that go along with the photograph.

I have her original passport, the passenger list for the ship that they went to Europe on, and quite a few other items.

This, I think, is of historical interest.

-- As a collection, your items would be worth more actually together as they've been assembled than they would separately.

If you look at a signature like his, maybe a signature from a a person could bring $200 to $300.

Maybe $350, somebody of his stature, and the letter that goes with it, the photograph itself.

His photographs run the gamut, I mean, all the way up to $1,000.

But you've got so many secondary things: her passport, the ticket to the concert, another photograph of her made by another professional unknown photographer, the passenger list.

All of that said, I think it's a collection you could look at a value of somewhere $1,800, maybe close to $2,000.

I think an auction house in New York City like Swann Auction in New York would be excited for something like this.

But I think I treasured even more the fact that you told me how much it meant to you and that you would keep it.

-- I would not sell it.

-- That's priceless.

When you've got that connection, it's worth much more.

-- How are you today?

-- I'm just fine.

-- Can you tell me a little bit about the history of these?

I know you brought them for a friend.

-- Right.

Well, she said that she bought the necklace in New Orleans, and she used to live in New Orleans.

And the earrings, she found at an estate sale.

-- The necklace and the earnings are both by an Afro-American jewelry designer named Miriam Haskell.

She had a rather lengthy career all the way from, like, 1950's up through perhaps the 1970's or 1980's.

The earrings are from the earlier period of time.

They're marked on the back: Miriam Haskell The stones, I'm not sure they're glass or they're real amber.

It's hard to tell, but they are an amber color.

Earrings like that on-line from Miriam Haskell, those would be probably $75 or $80.

The necklace is different.

the necklace is probably... one-sided.

One side of the necklace would probably be 18 inches.

So it's technically 36 inches in length.

-- Yeah.

-- The leaves and some of the other pieces are either silver or pewter finished.

Some of it may be a gold leaf finish.

A like the rest of the necklace is gold tone, which you typically used.

And the necklace also has her little small marking tag that she used on a lot of the pieces that were of finer quality.

I would estimate the necklace probably to be worth in the $300 range based on some other comparables that I have.

A lot of her necklaces have florets and things on them that are glass stones and things.

This is a little bit more sedate, but it's using three tones of of coloring: gold, silver, and a pewter color.

So the necklace is, you know, the better of the two pieces.

But she did well when she acquired it.

-- Wow!

She'll be glad to hear that.

-- I brought some silkscreens, I guess, is what they are.

And they were brought back from the Korean War, from my uncle.

But I don't think they're Korean.

They were wrapped up in a newspaper and found in my grandmother's items after she passed.

And that's all I know.

-- Well, they're really quite lovely.

The colors, they're very vibrant.

These are Japanese woodblock prints on silk.

So you can see where they would have a little woodblock and they would quickly paint on top of the block.

And you can actually see the way the paint would bleed on the sides.

So they're woodblock prints on silk and we can tell that they're Japanese by the markings.

-- Okay.

So the markings in the corners show that they're Japanese.

And also when you look in some of the silk block scenes, you can see the mountains of the Japanese skyline.

So that's how we're also able to recognize Japan.

But the main sign is the markings here in the corner.

So these works, because they were quickly produced, and you can see where they would put the ink on very quickly, they run about $40 for each silk print.

-- Okay.

That sounds great.

-- Ms Edwina, it's good to see you today.

-- Thank you!

Thank you!

The pleasure's mine.

-- Well, we're glad you made it.

And brought your duck with you.

-- This is Little Goose.

-- Little Goose?

-- Because I'm Mother Goose.

-- You're Mother Goose.

-- This is my Little Goose.

Now, don't call it a duck.

It'll hurt its feelings.

-- Okay, we won't.

That's a nice looking one.

I'd hate to hurt Little Goose's feelings, there.

So you and Little Goose have brought this Victorian silver plate, stand or bowl with a handle.

Where did you come by this piece, Ms. Edwina?

-- Well, this place has been with my mother and it's been with her mother.

So it's my grandmother's and it's been with me.

Even as a kid, I remember seeing it around my house.

-- Where did they keep it, mostly?

-- They kept it in the dining room on a little shelf, and sometimes when they were cooking good, they would cook extra biscuits, put a little biscuit or two in here and pass it around to the guests.

And the guests thought that was wonderful.

Oh, when they picked it up, took their little biscuit, put butter in it, and, oh, that tastes good!

-- I thought we could call it a biscuit server.

-- I think so, too.

That suits me.

You know, I looked at your piece to see if it was marked on the bottom.

I didn't see a maker's mark, but it's a neat Victorian piece with these ladies.

They almost look like a masthead on a ship in miniature, and they're kind of a Grecian goddess type thing.

But I love this piece, and I imagine the guests at your home over the years loved it because they got those great little biscuits.

-- They did!

--When they were cooking.

good, as you said.

-- It was the biscuits that made the impression, probably, not necessarily this.

-- Right, well, it seemed like they always taste better if they come out of a pretty dish.

-- Oh, that's a wonderful idea!

-- Yeah, that's a fact.

I think this piece probably and today's market, I see that the plate is beginning to go a little in the bottom.

Probably from some hot biscuits being in there.

-- I bet you're right.

-- Probably in today's market, this little piece would probably bring, and a well-advertised auction, $100 to $125.

If you had it replated, -- Yeah?

-- Which really wouldn't hurt the value, I don't think.

It would probably raise the value as much as the plating would cost.

-- Okay.

-- So if you said, well, I just want it to look all new, you could have it replated.

-- Oh, okay.

-- But it looks, you know, it looks nice just like it is.

And this is sort of thing that to polish it wouldn't hurt it a bit.

-- Thank you for coming to the second Antique Showcase and we really appreciate you bringing in this item.

How about you tell the audience a little bit about the lamp?

-- I know it's a statuette that was on the traffic lights on Fifth Avenue in New York.

My grandfather was the foreman on the crew that took them down.

They were taken down in the mid-sixties.

I guess time was moving on.

It was time to change out the street lights.

And they were kind of afraid they were going to be vandalized, but they took them down.

And as far as I know, from what he told me, they were scrapping them.

So there were 104.

I know there's a couple in a museum, like a museum in New York.

And there's another one, I think, in the Fifth Avenue Association office.

As far as I know.

According to a newspaper article I read, the other 101 have disappeared.

I know there's this one.

And he took it and turned it into a lamp.

So that's it.

-- And so it's great that you've got the provenance here.

And that's the newspaper article that you reference.

-- Yeah, when they took them down in 1964, I believe.

He just, obviously, liked the statue and decided to turn it into a lamp.

The summer before he passed away, he passed it down to me.

I've had it ever since.

-- Well, I would like to say it's a really lovely piece.

It was kind of in the classical form.

Usually you would have seen it in the Classical period in America about 1820 to 1840, and then even continuing on to the Empire period, you usually saw these as some form of lamp, like an Oregon or Sonumbra lamp.

And so this is obviously bronze and it was gilded as well.

And so that still shows through here.

Of note of this form, a lot of them were women.

And in the men, they usually held the globes on top of their heads.

But here we have it in a plinth standing on the globe.

And then usually they have this interesting hat here, which is kind of unique to this setting.

So what makes this even more valuable is that there's only three of 104 remaining, and that makes it really special and unique.

And having this lamp, the shade is actually very nice.

So he did a good job with that.

So I really loved the classical nature of this lamp and so that's what makes it special.

That was in the height of the Depression era, 1931.

And so you have a really special and unique piece.

You know exactly what you think it may be worth?

-- I don't know, but that was always the curious part to me because I know that, you know, they always want stuff in the purest form of what it is.

And, you know, my grandfather drilled the hole, I guess, in the top of the head of it and turned it into a lamp.

I've always wondered whether that damaged the value or maybe it looks nice enough that maybe that increase in value, I have no idea.

-- So usually you're right.

A good collector would want it in the exact form that it was taken off, but it was already used as another object.

So in this case I don't think it harms the value in it, mainly because I think this is a good utility, a value for it.

Because there's only three remaining, I think, to the right collector, maybe even in New York City who appreciates something like this, you got to realize this is a sophisticated bronze piece for Depression era.

So they were still valuing public utility, and some classical motifs are on the public right-of-way.

I think you could probably get anywhere from about $4,000 to $6,000 and maybe more for a private collector that would be looking to house this type of a piece of history.

If it's already documented in museums, that's only a plus, a benefit for you.

So I would estimate around $4,000 to $6,000 at auction.

-- That's great!

-- Fantastic!

-- This is a really pretty piece.

I so love to see a classical motif.

I wish we did more of it in our public utility space, but that's where we're at now.

And now we get to preserve this pretty piece in a lamp, and I hope to use it for a long time .

-- Yeah, I've just always wanted to know.

To me it's priceless because, you know, my grandfather made it, gave it to me, but it's just great to know what it's worth.

-- Absolutely.

Thank you so much for coming in.

-- Thank you.

-- Thanks.

-- Thank you for coming today all the way from McComb, Mississippi.

-- Thank you, glad to be here.

-- What a treat, and you brought a nice treasure here.

-- We think so, it was my mother's and father's.

They've had it a long time and they're both deceased.

And we've got it hanging in our our living room.

-- Well, where were your parents from?

-- Hammond, Louisiana.

-- Wow.

So this-- I would say this-- What do you think?

Is it an architectural building from Louisiana?

-- I think it's probably, we think it's something out of New York, maybe.

-- You think maybe?

-- Maybe an old... -- New York?

I mean, it's got the architecture.

where it could be New York or... Wouldn't it be nice if it was a Louisiana building that we could determine?

-- I don't have a clue.

-- Well, I've been looking at the signature here.

It's so hard to determine.

They signed it so beautiful.

Look at that.

And it reflects the era there at the turn of the century, even with the font, I see C F Dell here in the corner go.

And it's a nice-- you know, this is pastel.

You see these white highlights here?

That's called gouash.

-- Okay.

-- Gouash detail.

It's had some love.

You see the water damage?

-- Yes.

Right.

-- On top.

And this is a nice turn of the century frame.

The corners are a little loose and it's had some sun damage over time.

-- Right.

-- But it's a beautiful architectural work on paper.

It's got nice detail.

So it seems to me by a very established, accomplished artist.

I just cannot find the artist.

I'd say this is circa 1900.

-- Okay.

-- By an unknown artist.

-- Okay.

-- A nice work, architectural work on paper.

-- Okay.

-- You can tell do the all the nice detail and seeing the architectural molding that it's very accomplished.

But since we cannot establish the artist, I'm only going to put $350 on.

-- Okay.

-- Now, if we could determine the artist later and you figure out who C. F. Dell is, let's say, from a Louisiana book, or if we can determine the building that will tell everything and that might add value.

But right now, $350.

-- How long have you owned it?

-- We've owned it, what, going on two years?

Going on two years.

And we knew it was a Galle, but we weren't sure the value or all the details about it.

-- Right.

This is a really good piece.

They're hand-blown and then it's acid washed down.

It's signed, Galle.

And the size of it is really wonderful.

And the piece of Galle that holds the world's record was only, like, four inches tall, and brought $150,000.

But this is just a beautiful piece of art glass right here.

And it has a castle scene and trees and seaside and all.

I would say this one is worth between $4,000 and $5,500.

So it's a really good piece.

And you have another piece, I believe there.

-- Yes.

-- This one is a small piece of Galle.

But it probably had a stopper at one time.

And it's just a pretty little piece.

But I'd say it in today's market, would be worth from $500 to $700, something like that.

This stuff seems to be gaining ground.

-- Really, really?

-- People can invest in this and that's a way of enjoying it through the years and watching your investment grow.

So we really appreciate you bringing that by.

-- Oh, sure.

We wanted to get up here to Hong Kong.at all costs and see what it was really worth.

-- Yeah, you have a really nice piece.

You really do.

It's a piece you can be proud of.

I believe it to be authentic.

-- Well, thank you.

Appreciate that.

-- Join us next time on Mississippi Antiques Showcase and see if you have a hidden treasure in your closet.