• 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

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Les Maîtres de l'Affiche Collection

Value (2016) | $40,000 Auction – $45,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I got these posters about almost 20 years ago, from an auction in Paris. A friend of mine is an art dealer there, and I told him that if he ever saw them to please let me know. And within a few weeks, actually, they came up to auction, and he called me and said, do I want to bid, and I did. And I got it. And I have the entire collection.

APPRAISER:
And how much did you spend for them?

GUEST:
I spent $8,000.

APPRAISER:
And how many are in the entire set?

GUEST:
256.

APPRAISER:
Now, you realize, these aren't posters.

GUEST:
No, they're the Maîtres de l'Affiche, which is the collectors' size of the posters that were originally put up on the billboard. But so many people enjoyed them, that they started ripping them off the billboards, and they decided to make a collectors' edition for a period of about five years.

APPRAISER:
Exactly right, and in an analogy, they're like trading cards, where the actual posters were so big, and they had to be issued in a smaller, more easily handled size. Now, originally, these posters were mailed out by subscription, and they all came in one of these envelopes on a monthly basis, sort of like trading card of the month. And the way you can tell that they're all part of the Maîtres de l'Affiche, the "Master of the Poster" series, is that they all... if you can see it, it's a very faint embossed stamp. And every single one of them will have that embossed stamp, and that will tell you that it's part of the series.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
Now, the series of 256 represents many, many different artists, and I know you have all 256, and I've selected just a few of them to show everybody here. There are some works by Toulouse-Lautrec. There are some works by Alphonse Mucha. There're some works by Jules Chéret, and a poster by Steinlein. Now, these are definitely the highlights. The question that I think you have for me is, how much are these things worth?

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
I mean, they are reproductions. And generally, we're trained to think that reproductions are not very good. They tend to be worth not a whole lot compared to the original. Well, this is something a little bit different. These reproductions are actively sought out by collectors and by dealers, and everybody really likes to have them because they were printed between about 1896 and 1900. So although they're reproductions and miniaturizations of the original, they're of the same era. So now, in 1980, you paid $8,000.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
Do you have any idea what these are worth now?

GUEST:
No, that's why I came with them, because I honestly don't, and it's very difficult to find anyone who is willing to tell me a price.

APPRAISER:
Well, I can tell you this is the most pristine collection of these Maîtres de l'Affiche that I have ever seen. Each one comes with an original piece of wax paper. You've preserved them perfectly. They're in mint condition. You have all of the original portfolio sleeves. You even have the original envelopes that were mailed to the subscribers every month. At auction, a set in less good condition than this would sell for $40,000, $45,000.

GUEST:
Oh, my God. APPRIASER: It's great to see it. It brightens up the entire room.

GUEST:
(laughs) This is great news!

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Nicholas D. Lowry
Prints & Posters
Swann Auction Galleries
New York, NY
Update (2016)
$40,000 Auction – $45,000 Auction
Appraised value (2001)
$40,000 Auction – $45,000 Auction
Featured In
New York, Hour 3 (#0606)
Vintage New York (#2020)
Event
New York, NY (July 14, 2001)
Category
Prints & Posters
Period
19th Century
Form
Miniature , Poster
Material
Paper

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!