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Related | John Fery Oil Painting, ca. 1895

Related | John Fery Oil Painting, ca. 1895

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Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Hotel Del Coronado

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Inlaid Cherry Work Table, ca. 1810

Value (2014) | $6,000 Auction – $8,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
This is a table that my mother gave me, probably 30 years ago. And she would buy her furniture then out of, like, junk stores. It was pretty much in this condition when she gave it to me. It's been in the basement recently, so I would love to know, after all these years, what it is.

APPRAISER:
And where was she doing her buying?

GUEST:
In Columbus, Ohio, area.

APPRAISER:
Okay. It's an inlaid cherry, one-drawer work table. It's got lots of great features, from the central star inlay, the fan inlays in the corner. It's got these elongated fans and ovals down here. String inlaid on the legs. We think that it's probably from Kentucky or Tennessee, and there are lots of collectors of Kentucky and Tennessee furniture. The fans have shown up in Tennessee. The stars have shown up in Kentucky as well as Ohio. It's cherry. The secondary wood here is poplar. And you said you don't have any idea what it's...?

GUEST:
I would be shocked if it was worth over $50. (laughs)

APPRAISER:
Okay.

GUEST:
So I'd be happy if it were worth over...

APPRAISER:
Well, prepare to be shocked, then. It has some condition issues, but...

GUEST:
Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER:
I don't think that really matters. It's honest, it hasn't been refinished, which is great. It looks like it might have been wet. I don't know if it was used as a plant stand at some point. The stand dates from 1810, 1815. Do you have any idea what your mother might have paid for this?

GUEST:
I think she probably got it free. They were a little group of friends in the '60s, they were buying things and they'd trade furniture back and forth.

APPRAISER:
So it could have been a barter situation?

GUEST:
Oh, that's probably what it was. I don't think that she paid anything for it at all.

APPRAISER:
Okay. As far as value...

GUEST:
Mm-hmm?

APPRAISER:
At an auction, if you have people who are interested in Kentucky or Tennessee furniture, it would be estimated in the $6,000 to $8,000 range.

GUEST:
Oh! That's over $50. We can't use it as a TV stand anymore though probably, can we?

APPRAISER:
Tennessee furniture, if it can be nailed down, is exceedingly rare. If it is nailed down with a firm Tennessee attribution, the buyers for that sometimes can go wild, and it probably could exceed the $8,000.

GUEST:
Yeah, wow.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
LaGina Austin
Decorative Arts, Furniture, Rugs & Textiles
Skinner, Inc.
Boston, MA
Appraised value (2014)
$6,000 Auction – $8,000 Auction
Featured In
Charleston, Hour 1 (#1916)
Event
Charleston, WV (August 16, 2014)
Category
Furniture
Period
19th Century
Form
Table
Material
Cherry , Poplar

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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