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Laurel & Hardy "Swiss Miss" Horn, ca. 1930

Value (2013) | $3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I purchased this Alpine horn in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1962. I was on a junket in Europe. I ran into Franz Hug, the gentleman who was playing the accordion in this picture. He said, "You're from Minnesota, aren't you?" I said, "Yes." He said, "I have a horn I'd like to send back to the States. Could I use it for a show in Milwaukee?" So we negotiated and he came up with a figure, and I was... (humming) "Okay, if you don't tell my wife, I'll go ahead." So I purchased it. It was in Swiss Francs, and it was about $175.

APPRAISER:
Wow, okay. This is an actual prop, a horn that was used in the 1938 movie Swiss Miss, starring Laurel & Hardy. And if you look in the picture, you can see the person you were talking to has the photograph signed and inscribed. In terms of the horn, this is a musical instrument that was provided to the movie set by the gentleman you purchased it from. As far as the age, it's hard to determine. My guess is it's probably from the '20s to '30s range is when he might have had it made.

GUEST:
A little older, maybe.

APPRAISER:
Maybe even a little older. The most important obstacle in establishing price on this has already been tackled, and that's the provenance. We're looking at a photograph of the piece on the movie set, so right away we have the provenance established.

GUEST:
Good.

APPRAISER:
The next thing I want to tackle is how important is it? And what you're looking at is a piece that was used in a movie starring two of the most famous comedic entertainers in history probably, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. This is something that Oliver Hardy was holding and used in the picture. They were mousetrap salesmen, and they were unsuccessful, so they went to Switzerland, figuring with all the cheese in Switzerland, their business is going to flourish. And in typical Laurel & Hardy fashion, it didn't work out. Props from this time period, props from Laurel & Hardy movies are very sought after, very desirable. People really look for these. If I had this at auction, I would estimate it somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000. And I think that it should sell for every bit of that. It's just an important prop, and it's amazing it's survived all these years thanks to you.

GUEST:
Thank you.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Philip Weiss
Collectibles, Sports Memorabilia, Toys & Games
Philip Weiss Auctions
Lynbrook, NY
Appraised value (2013)
$3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Featured In
Jacksonville, Hour 1 (#1822)
Event
Jacksonville, FL (June 08, 2013)
Category
Toys & Games
Period
1930s
Form
Movie Memorabilia
Material
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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