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Isamu Noguchi Radio Nurse, ca. 1937

Value (2018) | $3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I got this from an auction in Kansas.

APPRAISER:
And how long ago was that?

GUEST:
About ten years ago.

APPRAISER:
It's called "Radio Nurse." It was produced by Zenith, and it dates from around 1937. It is actually a kind of an early baby monitor. It sprang up out of the fear that was generated after the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. You've got two parts to it. You've got the guardian ear, which actually would sit in your baby's room, and then the speaker, which would go wherever you would want it in order to monitor it. What's significant about this piece is the design. It's an excellent example of modern design by a very famous Japanese-American designer called Isamu Noguchi. Noguchi was born in Los Angeles, but spent much of his life in Japan. Noguchi went on to design furniture, and he was influential to current American designers and architects all over the world. And this is very typical of his design. He's combining machine elements with the human form. I mean, it's called "Radio Nurse," and this looks like a nurse's head, you can see the face, and then you can see her kind of hat draped around the back to the side. And the reason it's so scarce today is because during the war, a lot of these were trashed because of the Japanese association with them. And Noguchi, as a Japanese-American designer, his stock continues to rise, and this has become, like, a classic icon of his work. And you see it in all the modern design collections in museums throughout the country. You often just see this speaker. It's not as interesting, this part, because it's not as interestingly designed. It often gets thrown away. And it's the original finish on it. It's pretty significant to have it. This case is okay-- it could be buffed up a little, but they're easily cracked, because it is Bakelite.

GUEST:
Yeah.

APPRAISER:
You remember how much you paid for it originally?

GUEST:
I believe it was $25, $35.

APPRAISER:
A piece like this, in the current market is easily in the $2,000 to $2,500 range, and I'm really excited that you brought it on, and thanks for bringing it in.

GUEST:
That's amazing.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Gary Piattoni
Arms & Militaria, Collectibles
Gary Piattoni, Inc.
Evanston, IL
Update (2018)
$3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Update (2016)
$3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Appraised value (2003)
$2,000 Auction – $2,500 Auction
Featured In
Oklahoma City Hour 3 (#0809)
Celebrating Asian-Pacific Heritage (#2028)
Vintage Oklahoma City (#2224)
Event
Oklahoma City, OK (August 09, 2003)
Category
Science & Technology
Period
20th Century
Form
Appliance
Material
Bakelite

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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