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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!

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Brown & Saltman Bleached Mahogany Tables, ca. 1951

Value (2016) | $1,000 Auction – $1,500 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I brought to you today a pair of glass-topped Brown-Saltman end tables. I got them at, believe it or not, a pawn shop in Hilo, Hawaii, about five years ago. When I saw them, what I was really struck by was the lines. They reminded me almost of like an Asian pagoda.

APPRAISER:
Well, as you know, these tables were made by Brown-Saltman. And Brown-Saltman is a great furniture company out of California, started their business in the early 1940s, went on through the 1950s. Brown-Saltman was primarily a manufacturer. They had all kinds of fantastic designers working for them. A whole pantheon of famous people-- Paul Frankl, John Keal. The unfortunate thing is with these tables, we're not quite sure who designed them. But I'm sure that one of the masters did this. It's a great design. The other thing I think that's important about these tables is the fact that as the modern market matures, and it's really started off seriously in the 1980s, it got more robust in the 1990s. And it's been just kind of increasing as far as enthusiasm and as according values as well. These tables always were sort of in a second tier as far as collectability. But prices have gotten more and more expensive as time has gone on. And the enthusiasm for them has increased fantastically. And you have two great examples of it. Do you have any idea about what these might be worth?

GUEST:
It was very hard to find tables exactly like this on my internet search. I did find one online auction that sold a pair of refinished tables, and they sold for $600. But beyond that I have no idea what they might be worth. I'm thinking this is original finish.

APPRAISER:
It is original finish. Now, one interesting thing about modernism is people that collect modern tend to have a whole different set of criteria. They tend not to be quite as nitpicky about condition as people that have collected period furniture. But these, these are in original condition, they are in excellent shape. They're made out of bleached mahogany. They're also signed on the bottom. It says "Brown-Saltman." Most of their pieces are signed, not all, but most of them are signed. What I also like about Brown-Saltman is they tended to be a little bit wilder, a little less constrained than some of the East Coast companies or the Midwest companies. And even the pagoda shape of these-- and I agree with you, these look like pagodas-- definitely Asian influence. There's a whole notion of Asian design came on after World War II. What did you pay for these tables?

GUEST:
Well, the tables were marked $30 each, but the gentleman who runs the pawn shop said if I took both I could have them for $55.

APPRAISER:
The two tables together, at auction, probably would bring about $1,000 to $1,500.

GUEST:
Great, I got a good deal, then.

APPRAISER:
You got a great deal.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
John Sollo
Furniture
Rago-Wright Auctions
Lambertville, NJ
Appraised value (2016)
$1,000 Auction – $1,500 Auction
Featured In
Orlando, Hour 1 (#2116)
Event
Orlando, FL (June 18, 2016)
Category
Furniture
Period
1950s
Form
Furniture , Table
Material
Mahogany

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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