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Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

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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

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Vintage Hudson Car Models

Value (2015) | $41,200 Auction – $41,400 Auction
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HOST: This is a 1953 Hudson Hornet. The Hudson Motor Car Company was an independent automobile manufacturer that was in operation from 1909 to 1954. She's 60 years old and still rides like a dream. Roadshow stopped at the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum, where I met up with appraiser Noel Barrett to take a look at some very cool, vintage model cars. Noel, these car models we see here, they're not toys, are they?

APPRAISER:
No, they're not toys, although I must say, I see things like this at toy shows. They are actually used in the design studios of the car maker, in this case, Hudson. And they would use these to come up with different kinds of color schemes. HOST: So this is more a tool than a toy. They would actually use this to paint on, and then you could see how it was going to look?

APPRAISER:
Yes, they might paint the roof a different color, different contrast and see what it was going to look like. HOST: And these were never supposed to leave, but somehow they wandered out and a few of them are in existence.

APPRAISER:
Somehow over the years, they have turned up. HOST: If you were to find one of these, what would you expect to pay for something like this?

APPRAISER:
They're generally priced at around $1,200 to $1,400. Maybe a little more, of course, depending on condition. HOST: So there are a few of them out there in the market.

APPRAISER:
They do turn up. HOST: Tell me about this much larger model you have here.

APPRAISER:
This is a quarter scale model, and these were made for display at the 1932 New York Auto Show and then they were later on display at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. They were hand-made in the Hudson Factory of die-cast aluminum, and they are amazing scale models. The hood ornament, the latches, everything is exact. As far as we know, I think only five have turned up, although there's rumors of others. The most recent that sold at auction was a sedan, and it was totally restored and it was just in the last few months, and it sold for $34,000. I think that this is a much more desirable model. Most collectors love this kind of small coupe, rumble seat style. It just has a great feel to it. HOST: And so if the sedan went for auction about $34,000, we can assume that a model like this would go for much more.

APPRAISER:
I'm not so sure about much more, because that's already a lot of money, but I would think it would definitely bring more. It could bring $40,000, $45,000, who knows. But this one ain't going anywhere. That's for sure. Thank you very much, Noel, it's been fun talking to you.

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Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Noel Barrett
Toys & Games
Noel Barrett Antiques & Auctions Ltd.
Carversville, PA
Appraised value (2015)
$41,200 Auction – $41,400 Auction
Featured In
Detroit, Hour 2 (#1805)
Treasures On the Move (#1935)
Event
Detroit, MI (June 01, 2013)
Category
Collectibles
Period
20th Century
Form
Model
Material
Metal , Plaster of Paris

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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