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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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1951 Little Lulu Kleenex Advertising Display

Value (2018) | $1,000 Auction – $2,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
This is an advertisement for Kleenex tissue. I think it's something that they used to use in drug stores to advertise for, to get people to buy Kleenex tissue. I'm going by the advertisement, the tape that goes around that describes and everything about Kleenex tissue.

APPRAISER:
Well, I mean, as an advertisement, it's kind of dull. I mean, there's no real light. So let's turn it on and see what it looks like once it starts moving. Now, where did you get this wonderful sign?

GUEST:
It was left in a house that I purchased.

APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm, and what did you think? You just went down and found it in the basement or...?

GUEST:
Basically-- that's exactly what it was, okay?

APPRAISER:
Now, do you know who's on the front of it?

GUEST:
I was told that the little girl's name is Lulu. I'm not sure what the little boy's name is. I think somebody told me that his name was Ivan. But I'm not sure about that.

APPRAISER:
Well, you're pretty close. Little Lulu Moppet and her neighbor Alvin Jones. And Little Lulu was a comic book character that was created in 1935 by Marjorie Henderson Buell. She appeared primarily in "The Saturday Evening Post" for a number of years, and then in 1948, she kind of branched out, got her own comic series and things like that. In the late '40s, early '50s, she became the first mascot for Kleenex tissues. And there was a huge advertising campaign. There were little comics with her and the other characters from the comic book in "The Saturday Evening Post." And there was even a huge animated sign in Times Square with Little Lulu. This piece is from 1951. You've got Marjorie's signature on the front. It says, "Marge." Marjorie Henderson Buell was the original artist and creator of Little Lulu.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
But around, I believe it was right around 1947 where she stopped drawing them entirely. And then there was a whole stream of artists who came after her who would draw Little Lulu in the style of Marjorie, and sign it "Marge." It's a wonderful sign. The thing I enjoy the most about it is, it covers a lot of ground. Not only is it comic-book advertising art, it's also Kleenex advertising, it's also drugstore art. And it's animated, and it lights up. So it has a lot of interest in it. The cabinet is in fantastic shape. Usually when you find something like this sitting in the basement for a number of years, it's got water damage or cracks. There is none of that here. And the ribbon across the front isn't torn at all. It's got a little bit of a tension issue, which is why you have that little wobble as it goes. But a lot of those times, these are sun-faded or torn or nonexistent. So the fact that this works completely, with the fluorescent bulb, is astonishing. It's a fairly desirable piece. I talked with a couple of my colleagues, and they were all very excited about this, too. It's just a tremendously fun piece. And we would give an auction estimate for this piece at $1,000 to $2,000.

GUEST:
Is that right?

APPRAISER:
Yes, sir.

GUEST:
Okay, well, that's, that's great.

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Appraisal Details

Appraiser
James Supp
Collectibles
Coronado Trading Co.
Tucson
Coronado Trading Co.
Coeur d'Alene, ID
Appraised value (2018)
$1,000 Auction – $2,000 Auction
Featured In
Meadow Brook Hall, Hour 3 (#2303)
Event
Rochester, MI (June 14, 2018)
Category
Collectibles
Period
1950s , 20th Century
Form
Advertisement , Comic figure , Sign

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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