• Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Our Sponsors

Discovering America’s Hidden Treasures ™
On Tour
Watch
Special Features
Appraisals Archive 
Appraisers 
 Shop
    Quick links
  • Learn more about ROADSHOW's 2022 Tour
  • 2022 Tour Complete Rules
  • 2022 Tour FAQs
  • Nashville, TN — May 10
  • Boise, ID — May 31
  • Santa Fe, NM — June 14
  • Woodside, CA — June 22
  • Shelburne, VT — July 12
On Tour

On Tour

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

FAQs

FAQs

    Quick links
  • Watch Episodes Online
  • TV Schedule
  • Best Moments of Season 25
  • Best Moments of Season 24
  • Best Moments of Season 23
  • Best Moments of Season 22
  • Cities from Past Seasons
  • About Executive Producer Marsha Bemko
  • Roadshow's Editorial Policy
Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Watch | Portland, Hour 1

Watch | Portland, Hour 1

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 1

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 1

    Quick links
  • Detours Podcast
  • Video "RoadShorts"
  • Roadshow Topics — Endangered Species
  • Roadshow Topics — Sports Appraisals
  • Roadshow Topics — Best Moments
  • Roadshow Topics — Staff Picks
  • For Teachers
  • AR "Extras" Newsletter Sign-up
Related | 1919 Howard Chandler Christy "The Spirit of America"

Related | 1919 Howard Chandler Christy "The Spirit of America"

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

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

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

French Carved & Gilded Mirror, ca. 1780

Value (2011) | $3,000 Insurance
Watch  

GUEST:
I got it from my aunt, who left it to me when she passed away, and she got it from her mother. Her family is from Lucerne, Switzerland, so it was shipped all the way over there, to my aunt, probably about 50 years ago. That's about all I know about it.

APPRAISER:
Okay. The thing about this kind of mirror is, the vast majority of them that we see are later. This is actually an 18th-century mirror. GUEST(gasps): Wow!

APPRAISER:
And it's French. The other thing that is so wonderful about it is, if you look at the detail of the carving and the way that it's done, they started out with a piece of wood, carved it, and then they put gesso on it, and then they put gilt on it. And the other thing that I think is so fantastic about this is, you can see traces of the original gilding. See that sort of fiery, shiny part that you see in some of those "C" curves on the sides and up there where the flower basket is?

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
That speaks volumes also. The back on this is very roughly cut, and that's what you would expect. In the 18th century as now, time was money, and in a cabinetmaking shop, they would have not spent a lot of extra time worrying about what the back was going to look like. They would have spent their time on the front. The plate or mirror part of it is probably second generation.

GUEST:
Oh, it was replaced.

APPRAISER:
Yeah, but that's not the end of the world, because you would expect that in most instances. The color of the mirror part of it would be much different and kind of sparkly, because, you know, it would have deteriorated more since the 18th century.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
And it would be nice if it was perfect behind all the carving, but you know what? That doesn't bother me; does that bother you?

GUEST:
Not at all.

APPRAISER:
When I see something old, we want it to look old.

GUEST:
Exactly.

APPRAISER:
What about the wormholes? If it didn't have those wormholes, I'd be worried. Almost every piece of furniture from France from that early will have worm damage. This really sings out to you when you hang it on the wall. Where do you have it?

GUEST:
I have it right in the living room, right off of the entryway, so when you walk in, you kind of see it, it jumps out at you.

APPRAISER:
If you were going to insure this, I think you would probably want to insure this for $3,000.

GUEST:
Whoo! Wow, wonderful! Wonderful, wonderful. Whoo!

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Ken Farmer
Decorative Arts, Folk Art, Furniture, Musical Instruments
Ken Farmer LLC
Charlottesville, VA
Appraised value (2011)
$3,000 Insurance
Featured In
Pittsburgh, Hour 2 (#1608)
Event
Pittsburgh, PA (August 13, 2011)
Category
Decorative Arts
Period
18th Century
Form
Mirror
Material
Gilded , Glass , Wood

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.

More from PBS

Benjamin Franklin

Get to know one of the 18th century's most influential figures.

Now Hear This | Great Performances

Discover the secret histories of some of the greatest music ever written.

Putin's Road to War

Explore what led to Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine.

"I know there's a lot of envious people hearing that story..." Antiques Roadshow on Facebook

What’s inside the case?

@RoadshowPBS on Instagram

William Austin Burt patented the U.S.'s first "typographer” on July 23 in 1829. 110 year later came this "The Gold Royal" typewriter… @RoadshowPBS

We're soaking up the story behind this @LeslieKeno appraisal! #antiquesroadshow @RoadshowPBS

  • Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • ABOUT ROADSHOW
  • Schedule
  • Contact Us
  • Credits
  • Press
  • For Teachers
  • Telephone Scam Warning
  • Roadshow Imitators Warning
  • Doing Business with Appraisers
  • Our Sponsors
  • Our Funders
  • Corporate Sponsorship

Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry, and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.

Produced By

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is a trademark of the BBC and is produced for PBS by GBH under license from BBC, Worldwide. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. ©1997 – 2022 WGBH Educational Foundation.

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Copyright
Subscribe Hide  ×

A weekly collection of previews, videos, articles, interviews, and more!