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Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

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English Needlework, ca. 1750 (Georgian Period)

Value (2006) | $15,000 Auction – $20,000 Auction

GUEST:
I got them at a garage sale, probably about six or seven years ago. I picked them up just because they said, "Pick me up." I guess it was part of the color, uh, the style, and basically, just... I liked them.

APPRAISER:
And when you bought them, did they tell you anything about them?

GUEST:
They had no idea what they were.

APPRAISER:
No idea at all?

GUEST:
They said something that their grandmother had and they didn't want it anymore.

APPRAISER:
Well, they're English needlework done during the Georgian period. I would guess somewhere around, uh, 1750-ish, and they have a lot of things going for them. The colors are just wonderful. In one, you have a tortoise and in the other, you've got what appears to be either a porcupine or a hedgehog, and he's caught a snake. And the spandrels that go around the edges of the reserve-- you'll notice they're snakes. The imagery of this would have to really be researched. I'm not really certain why they've put together a tortoise and a porcupine, and what the significance of the snakes are.

GUEST:
Okay...

APPRAISER:
But I can tell you that the quality of the workmanship on these is really, extremely good. The background is almost all done in a pettipoint stitch, and there are other forms of needlepoint in here, too, but mixed with all this needlepoint background, we have a lot of embroidery going on. In this area, on the tortoise, and right here beside it, we've got a lot of French knots and a lot of other things like satin stitches and other forms of embroidery. And one thing that's very unusual about these is that they have a lot of wrapped metallic threads, which is quite unusual. Well, I would like to suggest to you that you take them to a framer who does good conservation framing. Make sure they put a spacer, probably on the edges of the frame, so that you can let the textile breathe.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
Okay? I haven't asked you the big question, which is: what did you pay for them?

GUEST:
They were very expensive.

APPRAISER:
Very expensive?

GUEST:
Very expensive. I paid $20 apiece for them.

APPRAISER:
$20 apiece.

GUEST:
$40 for the set.

APPRAISER:
$40 total. Well, I would say that at a good international auction, I think they would probably sell for somewhere between $15,000 to $20,000, and if you had the right buyers and you got two of them going after it, it could go up higher than that. But they're absolutely exquisite.

GUEST:
That's amazing. And that's... together, that would be 15...

APPRAISER:
Together, $15,000 to $20,000. That's not a bad deal for a $40 investment.

GUEST:
No, that's, that's a wonderful investment. Um, just a silly rhetorical question. You're serious?

APPRAISER:
I'm serious. (both laughing) Yes, I am serious.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Beth Szescila
Decorative Arts, Rugs & Textiles
Szescila Appraisal Service
Houston, TX
Appraised value (2006)
$15,000 Auction – $20,000 Auction
Featured In
Jackpot! (#1116)
Honolulu, Hour 1 (#1101)
Event
Honolulu, HI (August 26, 2006)
Category
Rugs & Textiles
Period
18th Century
Form
Embroidery
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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