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Appraisal Update | Cut Glass Centerpiece Base, ca. 1885

Appraisal Update | Cut Glass Centerpiece Base, ca. 1885

Extraordinary Finds | Hear More from Lowry About the Auction!

Extraordinary Finds | Hear More from Lowry About the Auction!

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Massachusetts William & Mary Gateleg Table, ca. 1690

Value (2012) | $10,000 Retail
Watch  

APPRAISER:
You've brought today a 300-year-old table. How long have you had this?

GUEST:
I don't... I'm shocked. It's been a family piece passed from my grandmother to my mother to me, but we always just knew it as Nana's gateleg table.

APPRAISER:
Right. What made you bring it to the show today?

GUEST:
Well, we always had a desire to find out more about it. I guess that's what made us decide to come in. And my husband was telling me I was crazy, so it makes it better that I've been chosen to be on the show.

APPRAISER:
Well, let me tell you about the over-300-year-old table.

GUEST:
I'm shocked.

APPRAISER:
Well, this is a William & Mary or late baroque-style table. Made in Massachusetts. There are not many style centers that long ago making furniture of this quality, because you think about this as a Colonial period in America.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
There's a little bit of action on the East Coast, in Boston and Philadelphia and New York. And we know this is probably not a Boston-made table because the wood is maple on this.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
And that would probably have been made maybe inland a little bit or up the coast in one of the more provincial mercantile centers. The William & Mary period is known for its turnings.

GUEST:
There are a lot.

APPRAISER:
Yes. These were made by turners and joiners, and they made all of their legs on a lathe. This, you said gateleg, so let's look at the gateleg here. It flips out. And I think a remarkably modern convention, design. I mean, this is a table that can fold up.

GUEST:
We've had it folded, but we know it has the capability of expanding. And my mother, who is 89, remembers eating at it as a child.

APPRAISER:
Many, many people have eaten at this dining table. I won't put my foot on it, but I'll show you what's happened to this. Over the years, you can see this back section which has flattened, and that is from many, many people sitting at it and wearing their feet over and over again.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
When you see reproductions or fakes of these tables, sometimes you'll see...

GUEST:
They'll do that.

APPRAISER:
They'll kind of wear it down, but this is all authentic. There is work done on the table, certainly, which is okay. After all...

GUEST:
It's old.

APPRAISER:
Yes, it is old and these things happen. And there is a slight change to the shape. You see it's straighter. It should have been more of a graceful oval.

GUEST:
I see.

APPRAISER:
Now, on your side there is a drawer.

GUEST:
Yeah.

APPRAISER:
And the thing I love about this drawer, it's all original. These drawers are always replaced. And there's great color in this drawer, so that adds to the value of the table itself, to have all of these authentic parts. I would say that if we saw this in a shop, it would probably be selling at around $10,000.

GUEST:
Wow. Wow!

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Karen Keane
Decorative Arts, Furniture
Skinner, Inc.
Boston, MA
Appraised value (2012)
$10,000 Retail
Featured In
Boston, Hour 2 (#1705)
Event
Boston, MA (June 09, 2012)
Category
Furniture
Period
17th Century , Colonial
Form
Table
Material
Maple , 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.

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