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

Discovering America’s Hidden Treasures ™
On Tour
Watch
Special Features
Appraisals Archive 
Appraisers 
 Shop
    Quick links
  • Complete Ticket Rules
  • How the Event Works
  • 2020 Tour FAQ
  • Williamsburg, VA — Canceled
  • Nashville, TN — Canceled
  • Boston, MA — Canceled
  • Estes Park, CO — Canceled
  • Santa Fe, NM — Canceled
Latest: 2020 Tour Update

Latest: 2020 Tour Update

Tour FAQs

Tour FAQs

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

    Quick links
  • Watch Episodes Online
  • TV Schedule
  • 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 | Vintage Baltimore 2021, Hour 2

Watch | Vintage Baltimore 2021, Hour 2

Watch | Vintage Baltimore 2021, Hour 1

Watch | Vintage Baltimore 2021, Hour 1

Watch | American Stories

Watch | American Stories

    Quick links
  • Find Features by City
  • Video "RoadShorts"
  • Roadshow Topics — Endangered Species
  • Roadshow Topics — Sports Appraisals
  • Roadshow Topics — Best Moments
  • Roadshow Topics — Staff Picks
  • For Teachers
  • Vintage Minute
  • AR "Extras" Newsletter Sign-up
Related | See Another Mudd Prison-Made Piece

Related | See Another Mudd Prison-Made Piece

Related | George Washington's Inaugural Ball Silk Sash, ca. 1789

Related | George Washington's Inaugural Ball Silk Sash, ca. 1789

Article | A Man and His Mural

Article | A Man and His Mural

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

J. & E. Stevens Calamity Bank, ca. 1885

Value (2014) | $12,000 Auction – $17,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
This was my grandfather's bank, and there was a card in the box that said, "Happy New Year, 1911." And it's from northern Ohio, I know.

APPRAISER:
Have you ever had it appraised?

GUEST:
The only thing we did was take it to a blacksmith to see about getting it repaired since it's broken, and he was more interested in the box than in the figures. He said the box would probably be worth about $150. And that was about 20 years ago.

APPRAISER:
Mechanical banks were very popular throughout the late 1800s. This particular bank was produced anywhere from the late 1870s into the 1890s. It was very susceptible to damage because of the sensitive gear mechanism on both figures. When the button was depressed, the two outside figures would swing around and attack the center player. It seems to be retaining a lot of its original paint. What's also very unusual is the presence of the original box. Do you have any idea of its value?

GUEST:
$500?

APPRAISER:
That would be very interesting. You might even want to add a zero and then double it and then add some.

GUEST:
Oh, my...

APPRAISER:
Yes, in its present condition, even with the damage, at auction, we'd be talking anywhere from $12,000 to $17,000, including the box.

GUEST:
(laughing) oh my gosh.

APPRAISER:
By itself, the box is $5,000.

GUEST:
Oh, wow. My grandmother would be very happy. She never threw anything away. Oh, that's fantastic.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Andrew Truman
Toys & Games
James D. Julia Auctioneers
Fairfield
Appraised value (2014)
$12,000 Auction – $17,000 Auction
Featured In
Bismarck, Hour 1 (#1907)
Event
Bismarck, ND (May 31, 2014)
Category
Toys & Games
Period
19th Century
Form
Bank
Material
Cast Iron , Paint

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

Broadway's Best on PBS

Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles; One Man, Two Guvnors; Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, and Lea Salonga in Concert.

Craft in America: Democracy

Explore how craft is intertwined with our nation's defining principles.

Keith Haring: Street Art Boy

Learn 3 ways that Haring shows the world that art is for everyone.

"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 Consumer Cellular. 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 – 2021 WGBH Educational Foundation.

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

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