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1935 Gibson Style A-C Mandolin

Value (2017) | $2,500 Retail – $3,000 Retail
Watch  

GUEST:
I was about ten years old. That was in 1935. I started taking mandolin lessons, and I had one of those beginners. And then I wanted to join the plectrum orchestra, and Pop bought me this Gibson mandolin. And we played in the orchestra, and we were on the radio Tuesdays and Thursday nights. (laughing)

APPRAISER:
That's great. Well, this was actually made in 1935.

GUEST:
It was?

APPRAISER:
You got it brand new. Your dad was a good dad, he got you a brand new Gibson mandolin.

GUEST:
He was a very good dad.

APPRAISER:
And it's a very rare model. This is the Gibson AC model, Century, or also known as the Century of Progress model mandolin. They made a Century of Progress model guitar and a Hawaiian model guitar, and an arch top guitar all with this same pearloid finger board and spruce carved arch top. But the back is flat maple. So in fact it was not an expensive mandolin to make for them, but it was a fancy mandolin. Pretty flashy. I bet you were the flashiest mandolin player in your orchestra.

GUEST:
Oh, and I was on the first row.

APPRAISER:
Well, I think in a retail situation it's worth about $2,500 to $3,000. It's in unbelievably clean condition. I've never seen one this nice.

GUEST:
Really?

APPRAISER:
Really, this is the best one I've ever seen.

GUEST:
My father would have been proud of me keeping it this well.

APPRAISER:
I would have thought so.

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Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Frederick Oster
Musical Instruments
Vintage Instruments, Inc.
Philadelphia, PA
Appraised value (2017)
$2,500 Retail – $3,000 Retail
Featured In
Orlando, Hour 1 (#2116)
Event
Orlando, FL (June 18, 2016)
Category
Musical Instruments
Period
1930s , 20th Century
Form
Musical Instrument
Material
Maple , Spruce

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.

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More on This Appraisal

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