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Related | The Priciest Work Ever Sold by an American Artist!

Related | The Priciest Work Ever Sold by an American Artist!

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American Album Quilt, ca. 1863

Value (2016) | $6,000 Auction – $8,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
This has been in our family for several generations, and I have just inherited it from my mom and dad.

APPRAISER:
Each one of these squares has a name on it. And how many of the names do you know?

GUEST:
Well, I know several of the families. Some of them are my grandmother's family. Her name was Brooks. And some of them I don't know. I guess it's a friendship quilt that was done in a quilting bee atmosphere, and it's... somewhere in South Jersey, I believe, is where it was all put together.

APPRAISER:
Well, one of the squares that's very close to you is the square right there. It says, "Medford, New Jersey."

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
And it says, "1863," which is, I think, when the quilt was finished. Some of the squares, like this one that's here, and then this one farther down that's here, are really very abstract, given when it was made in the 1860s.

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
There are squares like this butterfly here, which are very whimsical and playful in their nature, and then there are squares like this one down here which are patriotic.

GUEST:
Yeah.

APPRAISER:
And somehow, when you look at it as a whole, it comes together as an embodiment of not just individual creativity, but how it was thought of as a complete unit.

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
The fabrics that are in it, particularly this red, is a turkey red, and it's typical of the 1860s, as is this green and this green, which is worked, I believe, with an aniline dye. It's not the finest quilt I've ever seen, but it is one of the most imaginative ones. It's very simple appliqué along in here, and except for the square that's near you, which is worked in trapunto, it's a flatly composed quilt. Do you use it in your home, or have you thought about using it?

GUEST:
No, it's been in storage. I don't really have a good wall to hang it.

APPRAISER:
Well, you've obviously cared for it, because except for some staining, which you see in some of the squares, it's in beautiful, beautiful condition. And I would value it somewhere between $6,000 and $8,000.

GUEST:
Oh, wonderful.

APPRAISER:
At auction.

GUEST:
That's very nice.

APPRAISER:
And it could go for more at a dealer's, I think.

GUEST:
All right.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Titi Halle
Rugs & Textiles
Cora Ginsburg, LLC
New York, NY
Update (2016)
$6,000 Auction – $8,000 Auction
Appraised value (2005)
$6,000 Auction – $8,000 Auction
Featured In
Los Angeles, Hour 3 (#1009)
The Civil War Years (#2127)
Event
Los Angeles, CA (August 13, 2005)
Category
Rugs & Textiles
Period
19th Century
Form
Quilt
Material
Cloth

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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