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Seth Thomas Time Recorder, ca. 1935

Value (2018) | $2,500 Retail
Watch  

GUEST:
I purchased it from the previous abstract title company, and it's been in that company since 1936, that I know of.

APPRAISER:
How long you have owned it? GUSET: 16 years.

APPRAISER:
16 years.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
Well, this particular clock was made by the Seth Thomas Clock Company, and it's an unusual clock, because it was built for a purpose of tracking when people were coming and going. It was probably used in a boarding house or, perhaps, a hotel of some kind. And every room would be assigned a number. When a guest went in and out, they would flip one of these switches, and then when he returned, they probably flipped it back up again. That, in turn, made a mark on a piece of paper that would have been on this roll here, and they would have been able to record the motion of that person over a period of time. It's interesting that this is spring-driven-- big spring here on the fusee-- and it runs through cables over here. The clock itself is pretty basic. Seth Thomas used this movement in a lot of clocks. It probably runs for 15 days. And it's really good quality. It's nice that it has this Minneapolis, Minnesota, Time Recorder Company on it. Do you have any idea what value a clock like this would have?

GUEST:
I don't know. I paid $100 for it.

APPRAISER:
That's pretty good. In today's marketplace, there's a lot of interest in time-recording clocks, and this particular clock, I would probably estimate the value to be about $2,500.

GUEST:
Wow.

APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
John Delaney
Clocks
Delaney Antique Clocks
West Townsend, MA
Update (2018)
$2,500 Retail
Appraised value (2005)
$2,500 Retail
Featured In
Bismarck, Hour 3 (#1012)
Vintage Bismarck (#2320)
Event
Bismarck, ND (July 30, 2005)
Category
Clocks
Period
20th Century

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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