GUEST: My mother purchased these candlesticks and, I believe, in Europe, in 1951 on a trip there. She loved antiques and she loved to shop around and went to museums, traveling with my father and learned a lot that way, and...

APPRAISER: Did she get to Europe often?

GUEST: No, she made one trip.

APPRAISER: Really? These candlesticks are probably French, early 19th-century, in the Empire style. You can see the classical influence. And they're made out of bronze and gilt bronze. If you look at the bottom, this is all gilt, or gold-plated. Then this is the natural bronze, you know, with a patina, very nice, warm patina, and the quality of these is really extraordinary. And that's really what attracted me to them. The casting and the detailing is just really marvelous. They're not marked, so we don't really know, but they were probably made in Paris about maybe 1810, 1820. They're in great condition for the most part, a little bit of damage up here that could be easily repaired, and the surface is just in great condition. I would say the fair market value would probably be between $3,000 and $4,000. Is that a surprise?

GUEST: Yes, very much so. She'd be thrilled.

APPRAISER: Good, good.

GUEST: She made a good buy.

APPRAISER: Yes, she did.

GUEST: And I'm happy to have them.