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Arthur Mcgee Dexter Gordon Custom Suit, ca. 1987

Value (2017) | $5,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I bought this in an auction of jazz-related memorabilia in New York City about 12 years ago. It belonged to the great jazz tenor player Dexter Gordon. He wore it for the Academy Awards ceremony. He was nominated for his role in Round Midnight as the best male actor. He didn't win, but I got the suit.

APPRAISER:
But he looked snazzy going to the awards show.

GUEST:
Oh, yes.

APPRAISER:
You, years later, found this photograph of him wearing it in French "Vogue" magazine. So he obviously liked this suit. One of the most interesting things about this suit-- beyond the fact that it was Dexter Gordon's-- for me is who designed it for him and the fact that he had a custom suit designed. And the reason he had a custom suit designed, apart from wanting something fancy, is because... (laughs): ...he's quite tall.

GUEST:
My goodness, yeah.

APPRAISER:
I think it's difficult to find pants to fit someone who's 6'5".

GUEST:
Yeah.

APPRAISER:
And his nickname actually was Long Tall Dex, because he was known for his great height, which added to his larger-than-life persona. Arthur McGee, the designer of the suit, is a really important figure that's not known as much as he should be because he was the first African-American fashion designer on Seventh Avenue in New York. So he essentially broke the color barrier of American fashion design, and did pave the way for a lot of other people who came up after him. He's also very well-known among a lot of African-American entertainers. He designed for Stevie Wonder, Cicely Tyson, Dexter Gordon. I think that's a really important factor here. What did you pay for it back when you bought it?

GUEST:
I paid $1,000 for it.

APPRAISER:
Today, if it were to come up for auction, I would expect it should sell for at least $5,000. We actually had the great fortune in Anaheim a few years ago to meet his daughter. She came to the Roadshow and she brought some beautiful signed photographs.

GUEST:
Whoa!

APPRAISER:
He had Billie Holiday and a few other people he was friends with-- Sarah Vaughan. She couldn't have been lovelier, she was such a wonderful spirit and personality.

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Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Laura Woolley
Collectibles
The Collector's Lab
Los Angeles, CA
Appraised value (2017)
$5,000 Auction
Featured In
Newport, Hour 2 (#2217)
RECUT: Newport, Part 3 (#R0105)
Event
Newport, RI (September 18, 2017)
Category
Collectibles
Period
20th Century
Form
Clothes

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 on This Appraisal

Article
Dexter Gordon: Bebop to Copenhagen
Related Appraisal
Dexter Gordon Photo Group, ca. 1950
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