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Close Up | Poet Rainer Maria Rilke's Quote

Close Up | Poet Rainer Maria Rilke's Quote

Owner Interview | Korean Yayoi Stone Dagger, ca. 750 BC

Owner Interview | Korean Yayoi Stone Dagger, ca. 750 BC

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 3

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 3

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C.F. Monroe Company "Nakara" Jewelry Box, ca 1900

Value (2005) | $2,000 Insurance

GUEST:
My dad called it a jewelry box, and I acquired it-- kind of interesting-- I wanted to make pickles and my mother knew that there were some jars in my grandparents' house. And so we went over there and found the box of jars-- dirty, filthy. And this was sitting beneath all those old canning jars. I asked my mother, "Could I have it?" and she said, "I don't know whose it is." Because someone had rented the farm. But she said, "It doesn't look like they used the jars." And she said, yeah, I could have it. So we came home and I cleaned it up and it kind of fell apart. It was a damp, old musty, icky basement. And the plaster was softened. And it fell apart. So I cleaned it up, and my dad came home and he almost had a fit. He says, "Where did this come from? It's Ma's jewelry box!"

APPRAISER:
So the lost is found. This is an opal glass. It was a white glass made around 1900. It was made by the C.F. Monroe Company.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
Now, you did mention...

GUEST:
I thought it was Japanese, because it says "Nakara" on it.

APPRAISER:
Well, we'll get to that. This is a dresser jewelry box. And I'm going to lift this lid off. It is loose.

GUEST:
Yes, it really is.

APPRAISER:
And just set it down here. And then we have the frame. And that's the part that fell apart for you.

GUEST:
Yeah, it was damp.

APPRAISER:
Well, plaster of Paris goes in there. And it tightens up, and it covers up all of this. This is not dirt. This is just from the plaster of Paris. So that will clean up. I suggest to take this to a silversmith, have this cleaned, have him put the plaster on. And then you can put it all back together and have a perfect piece. This is a very inexpensive repair-- under $100. Now, the lid, that is Queen Louise on there. And this is one of their more popular patterns. Sometimes they're done a little with transfer and then they're touched up with hand painting.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
Now, getting back to the "Nakara"... on here. It was made by C.F. Monroe Company-- American company. They had three lines of products. One was Wave Crest, one was Kelva and one is Nakara. Wave Crest being line number one and then Kelva and Nakara next. So this is not Japanese. Now, as to value, if you get this fixed, it's a $2,000 box for insurance.

GUEST:
It is?

APPRAISER:
Yes, a finding in your jars.

GUEST:
I could... That is really something. When I got married, I set it in my china cabinet and it's been sitting like that since 1965.

APPRAISER:
Well, it's a lovely box.

GUEST:
Well, thank you very much.

APPRAISER:
Thank you.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Kathleen Bailey
Glass, Pottery & Porcelain, Silver
None
Seattle, WA
Appraised value (2005)
$2,000 Insurance
Featured In
Bismarck, Hour 3 (#1012)
Event
Bismarck, ND (July 30, 2005)
Category
Pottery & Porcelain
Form
Box

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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