• Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Our Sponsors

Discovering America’s Hidden Treasures ™
On Tour
Watch
Special Features
Appraisals Archive 
Appraisers 
 Shop
    Quick links
  • Learn more about ROADSHOW's 2022 Tour
  • 2022 Tour Complete Rules
  • 2022 Tour FAQs
  • Nashville, TN — May 10
  • Boise, ID — May 31
  • Santa Fe, NM — June 14
  • Woodside, CA — June 22
  • Shelburne, VT — July 12
On Tour

On Tour

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

FAQs

FAQs

    Quick links
  • Watch Episodes Online
  • TV Schedule
  • Best Moments of Season 25
  • 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 | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Watch | Portland, Hour 1

Watch | Portland, Hour 1

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 1

Watch | Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 1

    Quick links
  • Detours Podcast
  • Video "RoadShorts"
  • Roadshow Topics — Endangered Species
  • Roadshow Topics — Sports Appraisals
  • Roadshow Topics — Best Moments
  • Roadshow Topics — Staff Picks
  • For Teachers
  • AR "Extras" Newsletter Sign-up
Related | 1919 Howard Chandler Christy "The Spirit of America"

Related | 1919 Howard Chandler Christy "The Spirit of America"

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

1907 Pairpoint Puffy Lamp

Value (2017) | $15,000 Insurance – $20,000 Insurance
Watch  

GUEST:
Well, this is a Pairpoint lamp that was brought into my family a long time ago. There are a couple of different stories as to how this lamp got into our family. Not really sure which one is true. But the first story is that it was brought by my great-grandparents who settled in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. And my grandparents, who took over their house, didn't really care for the lamp, and it was in their attic for decades until my mother found it, at which point my grandmother said, "If you like it, you can have it," and then it eventually worked its way to me. The other story, which I think is far more interesting, is that my grandfather was a commercial fisherman in Sheboygan, and was known to be a little bit of a gambler, and that he actually won this lamp playing poker out on the Great Lakes somewhere.

APPRAISER:
Oh, great story-- you know it's a Pairpoint lamp.

GUEST:
I know it's a Pairpoint lamp, but that's really all I know about it. I see a date on there from 1907, but that's really all I know.

APPRAISER:
Well, Pairpoint started in New Bedford, Massachusetts. New Bedford, of course, very well-known as a whaling town. Herman Melville spent time there. They started in the 1880s, and then in the 1890s, early to mid-1890s, they merged with the Mount Washington Glass Company, so, and that became the Pairpoint Corporation. So here, we have... as you noted, there's a very small mark that says "Pairpoint Corporation," and it's dated 1907. So we know when it was made. This is what's referred to as a Pairpoint puffy lamp. The sides are puffy, actually, and they're floral.

GUEST:
The shape of them...

APPRAISER:
So this panel here, with the mark on it, is a wonderful garden scene with steps and urns. And then on the opposite side... let's see. Carefully turning this around. We have a very nicely dressed 18th-century courting couple, dancing couple. They're a very appealing look for a shade of this type. And then we have, on the sides and the top, floral and striated decoration that's just gorgeous. This is actually a very rare form of shade. I think it's called a Roma form, R-O-M-A. While the market for generic puffies is sort of slow right now, I think something for this level, the higher level, with all of the wonderful gilding and interior painting of it, I think the market is still very strong. Any idea, for you, what you have?

GUEST:
You know, I did some research, minimal research. I did find some puffy... puffy Pairpoints, and based on what I saw, something around $1,000, $5,000. Anywhere in that range, but I really have no idea.

APPRAISER:
Okay, actually, the more generic puffies used to be fairly high. This one, now, is again, is sort of more toward the top-of-the-line puffies. I would say is, basically, at full retail for insurance, you could say $15,000.

GUEST:
Wow. And that even might be a little low. You could... I mean, you could really stretch it, if you wanted to, to $20,000. The money is in the shade. So if you have a crack or a big damage in the shade, it's really... the value goes-- just plummets.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
David P. McCarron
Decorative Arts, Glass, Pottery & Porcelain, Silver
Appraised value (2017)
$15,000 Insurance – $20,000 Insurance
Featured In
Green Bay, Hour 1 (#2213)
Event
Green Bay, WI (June 17, 2017)
Category
Glass
Period
20th Century
Form
Lamp
Material
Glass , Lacquer

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

Benjamin Franklin

Get to know one of the 18th century's most influential figures.

Now Hear This | Great Performances

Discover the secret histories of some of the greatest music ever written.

Putin's Road to War

Explore what led to Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine.

"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 American Cruise Lines. 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 – 2022 WGBH Educational Foundation.

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Copyright
Subscribe Hide  ×

A weekly collection of previews, videos, articles, interviews, and more!