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Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Hotel Del Coronado

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Mayer Portable Sanitation Pot, ca. 1840

Value (2016) | $1,000 Auction – $2,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
Well, I went to an estate sale here in Fort Worth, and found this underneath the table. Didn't think much of it. It was just a bucket. So I opened the lid and saw what was in it, and then asked them what they wanted for it, without letting them know that... what was in it. And they didn't look, so...

APPRAISER:
Hold that thought-- let's have a look at what's in it. When you brought this to the table, it looks like an old bucket, kind of rusty metal. And then we looked inside it. And opening it up, you can see immediately this is something special. There is a mark on it, and it's the mark of one of the Mayer family of potters, Mayer of Burslem. And we can date this mark to the early Victorian years. Dates through about 1840. And I think the best way to describe it is a Victorian porta potty. Every large manufacturer in Staffordshire at the time, and Burslem, where this was made, had a line of what was called sanitary ware. The Mayer were probably best known... you see their mark on conventional blue and white printed ware-- plates, tableware, meat platters, things like that. And I think it's a fabulous example of early Victorian sanitary manufacturing. So let's take a look at how it works. This is the business end of it. And when it's done, there would be a jug nearby full of water that could be poured into it to flush it. The center is, as you can see, hinged on a counterbalance to flush into the bottom of the pan. I've seen Victorian sanitary ware over the years. Most of it is later into the Victorian period, and quite complicated, quite decorative. It's not unusual. I also think it's very discreet, which is one of the things I love about it. To me, this is made for the garden, possibly for use on a picnic, which the Victorians loved to do, or-- they had very large gardens-- perhaps in a conservatory or somewhere out in the corner, perfect for a garden party use. The paint on the outside is entirely original to the piece. This is painted metal, probably zinc. I don't think anything's been done to this since it was new in about 1840. And that's one of the things I love about it. How much did you pay for it in that sale?

GUEST:
I paid $30.

APPRAISER:
Well, I think you are, as we say, on the right side of it there. $30, how can you go wrong, for something from 1840 that's rare, and a great curiosity? And I think it's a great auction item. I suspect you could estimate it for at least $1,000, and put a high estimate on it of perhaps $2,000.

GUEST:
The artwork inside is pretty nice for it to be inside of a toilet bowl.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Nick Dawes
Decorative Arts, Glass, Pottery & Porcelain, Silver
Heritage Auctions
Dallas, TX
Appraised value (2016)
$1,000 Auction – $2,000 Auction
Featured In
Fort Worth, Hour 3 (#2103)
Event
Fort Worth, TX (July 23, 2016)
Category
Pottery & Porcelain
Period
19th Century , Victorian
Form
Pot
Material
Metal , Pottery

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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