The John Ringling Hotel Plate, ca. 1940
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GUEST:
I have a plate from the John Ringling Hotel that was a famous iconic landmark in Sarasota, up until it was demolished in the late '90s.
APPRAISER:
Do you know where we're standing right now?
GUEST:
Yes, sir, I do.
APPRAISER:
We're standing in John Ringling's bedroom. So I think he'd be very proud of us for having this here today, so... This would be considered something that probably he wouldn't see. It was originally called the El Vernona Hotel that was renamed in about 1929, when he purchased it. When John Ringling died in 1936, the hotel was actually taken over by his nephew, John Ringling North. That was sort of the heyday of the hotel, was the 1940s and '50s, and there are incidents where he strung trapezes in the dining room, and he actually turned it into a sort of circus hotel, which is, of course, very aptly named. This would have been, like, a side plate, probably for vegetables. And this was the room service- type stuff, so it was very durable. The stuff for the dining room was gold trim, very nice porcelain. This is the stuff that you could really-- ugh! So a lot of it had a rough life. But this one's doing okay. You think?
GUEST:
I do.
APPRAISER:
The hotel closed, and some say it was haunted.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Nice ghost hotel.
GUEST:
It's the legend of the town.
APPRAISER:
What do you think it's worth?
GUEST:
Maybe $100.
APPRAISER:
I think in Spokane, Washington, this is five dollars. But here in Sarasota, Florida, it's probably closer to $300, I think, so...
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
So I think you did pretty well.
GUEST:
So do I. I like it.
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