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1884 Edward Cranch Rookwood Vase

Value (2020) | $1,000 Auction – $1,500 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I yard-sale with my friend a lot, and we were out one Saturday, and it was sitting on a table with a bunch of broken stuff, and I was just drawn to the cats and dogs on it and the way it looked and everything, and I liked it.

APPRAISER:
And mice.

GUEST:
And mice, and I went back three times and looked at it, and finally, I said, "I have to have it," so I bought it.

APPRAISER:
And you paid how much for it?

GUEST:
Two dollars.

APPRAISER:
Two dollars. How long ago did you buy this?

GUEST:
About a year and a half to two years, and I've had it in a cabinet since.

APPRAISER:
So, what have you found out about it since you've had this?

GUEST:
Nothing, except that it says "Rookwood" on the bottom.

APPRAISER:
Okay, well, it does say "Rookwood" on the bottom.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
Right over here.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
And it also says "Cranch," and that's for Edward P. Cranch, who was an early-period Rookwood decorator.

GUEST:
Oh!

APPRAISER:
And his work is typified by this incised, sort of illustrative style.

GUEST:
Oh, okay.

APPRAISER:
And he was kind of an odd guy.

GUEST:
Uh-huh.

APPRAISER:
And used a very peculiar subject matter. Here we have cats reading books, and...

GUEST:
I thought it was very peculiar, yeah.

APPRAISER:
Yeah. This incised, or sgraffito, decoration with black outlining, almost always on this sort of brown background, is what he's known for.

GUEST:
Oh, okay.

APPRAISER:
He tended to repeat scenes. He only worked for a couple of years, so it's quite rare.

GUEST:
Oh, okay.

APPRAISER:
Usually from about 1880 to 1884.

GUEST:
That's great.

APPRAISER:
But this one I've never seen before. And I also like the fact that it's got its original stopper. If this is all it had without the chain, I would have assumed that the stopper was lost.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
And somebody just put a cork in it. But this is, is the original stopper.

GUEST:
Oh, that's great.

APPRAISER:
So I'd say a couple, three years ago, this piece might have been worth about $500 to $700.

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
Today, without this decoration, but with more typical decoration, about $1,000. But because of the cats and the dogs, I'm thinking maybe between $1,500 and $2,000 retail at auction.

GUEST:
Oh, that's wonderful. Oh, that's wonderful.

APPRAISER:
Okay?

GUEST:
Very good, so that was a good investment on my two dollars.

APPRAISER:
I'd say that was a good yard sale find.

GUEST:
That's right, that's right, that's right.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
David Rago
Pottery & Porcelain
Rago/Wright/LAMA/Toomey & Co.
Lambertville, NJ
Update (2020)
$1,000 Auction – $1,500 Auction
Appraised value (2020)
$1,500 Auction – $2,000 Auction
Featured In
Orlando, Hour 2 (#1205)
Vintage Orlando, Hour 2 (#2507)
Event
Orlando, FL (June 30, 2007)
Category
Pottery & Porcelain
Period
19th Century
Form
Vase
Material
Porcelain , Pottery

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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