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Article | The History and Legacy Surrounding "The Well of Loneliness"

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Related | John Fery Oil Painting, ca. 1895

Related | John Fery Oil Painting, ca. 1895

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Hotel Del Coronado

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Hotel Del Coronado

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Pennsylvania Dutch Dower Chest, ca. 1830

Value (2018) | $1,200 Auction – $1,500 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
We got this out of a family that lived in Albion, Indiana, in their home. And the story with this, supposedly their family brought it on a wagon train from Pennsylvania to Indiana. And that's really all I know about it.

APPRAISER:
That's actually pretty interesting.

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
So this piece is very much decorated in the Pennsylvania German Dutch tradition.

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
So you see these, these motifs repeated over and over. So that's one easy way we could recognize it. It's typical of dower chests or blanket chests that were made in Pennsylvania. They come in a variety of colors, painted decoration. This particular one is relatively simple. So the person who painted this didn't go overboard, but the thing that I found very appealing about it is, I like the palette. These can vary tremendously in value, according to how complex the design and how many colors were used and that sort of thing. But this sort of mustard yellow background and this ocher design, these geometric devices, it's survived in pretty good condition. You might look at the top on this one and say, "Well, it's kind of worn," but oftentimes, when the wear starts, they just strip the paint off the top 'cause it doesn't look good anymore. Thank goodness they didn't do that. These chests are typically made of poplar. Poplar is a wood that has a nice smooth grain and it accepts paint very readily. I'm going to open the lid here. They didn't pick poplar because it's a pretty wood, because it isn't-- it's pretty dull stuff. At some point, these hinges were changed. That's not a big hurt.

GUEST:
It isn't?

APPRAISER:
It really isn't at all.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
And there's, there's been some evidence of either a dog trying to get in. Or, who knows, it may be a squirrel or a rat trying to get into what's inside.

GUEST:
Yeah.

APPRAISER:
I don't know the story behind that. This particular piece can be dated, I would say, about 1830 or so.

GUEST:
1830, wow.

APPRAISER:
And if we're... A little bit earlier, we might see what they call a bracket base, rather than having these turned feet. But this is very successful-- it's relatively small, it's well-proportioned, it's in good shape, it's a simple but elegant design. Do you remember what you paid for it?

GUEST:
I don't think it was any more than a couple of hundred dollars.

APPRAISER:
Do you have any idea as to what it is worth?

GUEST:
I did have an antique person offer me $2,000 for it. That was in the '90s, and the painted stuff was sort of a little hot at that time, so I have no clue today, and it would be interesting to find out.

APPRAISER:
In this market, which is in many areas somewhat depressed, because younger folks don't take a lot of interest in this material.

GUEST:
No.

APPRAISER:
But at any rate, I think in an auction situation, I would estimate it probably $1,200 to $1,500, which isn't markedly different from what you were told years ago.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
Do you use it?

GUEST:
Actually, my television sits on it.

APPRAISER:
If this were refinished, for example, it'd be worth $200 or $300.

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
The value is in the paint.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Stephen L. Fletcher
Clocks, Decorative Arts, Folk Art, Furniture
Skinner, Inc.
Boston, MA
Appraised value (2018)
$1,200 Auction – $1,500 Auction
Featured In
Ca' d'Zan, Hour 3 (#2306)
Event
Sarasota, FL (April 12, 2018)
Category
Furniture
Period
19th Century
Form
Chest
Material
Paint , Poplar , Wood

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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