• 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 Las Vegas 2021, Hour 1

Watch | Vintage Las Vegas 2021, Hour 1

Watch | Meadow Brook Hall, Hour 3

Watch | Meadow Brook Hall, Hour 3

Watch | Vintage Louisville 2021, Hour 2

Watch | Vintage Louisville 2021, Hour 2

    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
Article | "Only Angels Have Wings": A Model Performance

Article | "Only Angels Have Wings": A Model Performance

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!

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Navajo Yeibichai Rug, ca. 1930

Value (2014) | $3,000 Auction – $3,500 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I got this rug in 1973 at an estate auction in Western Pennsylvania. I didn't know anything about it at the time. It just appealed to me. My understanding is that it's either a Navajo or a Hopi.

APPRAISER:
It is a Navajo rug. It's all hand-spun wool from living sheep, so it has that beautiful texture to it. The dyes used, it's natural and aniline dyed, so there's some chemical dyes used to achieve these colors. It probably speaks of the 1920s and '30s, when it was made. These rugs are most commonly made in the northeastern Arizona area of the reservation. After they were held on reservation, the trading posts were established, and so then it was a tourist trade thing. This is one of the most favorable compositions for the tourist trade. But the background on it is that the figures are yei figures. They are benevolent deities, supernatural gods, who are involved with healing ceremonies. The rug is called a yeibichai because they're Navajo dancers, they're Navajo people costumed like the yei gods. So they refer to them as yeibichai rugs. You'll notice that the dancers have blue masks, and the lead figure is the yellow-shirted gentleman. He's the lead dancer.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
And they refer to him as "the talking god." And it was something that... derivative of a healing ceremony they used with colored sand, originally, but there are deviations to it. They're not going to show you their ceremonial life. There's always something hidden. There's always something withheld.

GUEST:
Uh-huh.

APPRAISER:
So you were just attracted to it for its visual appeal?

GUEST:
My mother had spent some time in New Mexico in college and was a fan of Native American art and collectibles. It caught both our eyes, and I was a 14-year-old kid and she said, "If you want it, go for it." And so I was the one that was actually doing the bidding.

APPRAISER:
And so how much did you pay?

GUEST:
I believe I paid $100 for it. It started off, I think, around $25 or $30 and it bid up to $100.

APPRAISER:
Did it actually come out of your allowance?

GUEST:
Part of it did, yes.

APPRAISER:
There you go. Because of the richness of the colors and the... it's just gutsy. It has a really good feel to it. It's... there's a lot of them out there, but this one really has it all going on. This rug at auction would bring around $3,000 to $3,500.

GUEST:
Wow, very nice.

APPRAISER:
So did you have to pay her back?

GUEST:
I think I'm going to now.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Linda Dyer
Tribal Arts
Franklin, TN
Appraised value (2014)
$3,000 Auction – $3,500 Auction
Featured In
Charleston, Hour 1 (#1916)
Event
Charleston, WV (August 16, 2014)
Category
Tribal Arts
Period
20th Century
Form
Rug
Material
Wool

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

The Black Church

Trace the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America.

9to5: The Story of a Movement

Go inside the movement for women's workplace equality in the 1970's.

Finding Your Roots

Discover the surprising ancestral stories of a variety of public figures.

"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!