Kloz Family Violin, ca. 1775
GUEST: It came from my wife. It was a gift from her father, who purchased it in Chicago in 1955, and my understanding is that it was a piece of equipment from a Georg Kloz, part of the family from Mittenwald, Germany. I would like to get a verification that this is indeed a Kloz violin, and not a copy. There is a... a paper signature in... within the violin body. They can be messed with, they can be changed. And it had a date in there, and the date was somewhere around the 1765, '66.
APPRAISER: I never look at labels whenever I appraise an instrument, because they can be taken out, they can be changed, or they can be in there from the time the instrument was made and just be fake. The top of the violin is made out of spruce. Uh, the ribs and the back are made out of maple. The first thing I look at for an instrument from the 18th century is I look to make sure that the scroll has been grafted, and this one has. That's great. The Kloz were a family of makers out of Mittenwald, Germany. The Mittenwald makers made their instruments using an outside mold versus the Cremonese, who would often use an inside mold. So where the ribs join at the corner, because they used an outside mold, the joint, instead of being like right on the corner, is actually slightly on the inside, towards the center of the c-bout. Kloz family instruments will have a one-piece rib. A lot of violins, they-- they have a joint right here. So normally there's a line right down the center here, but there isn't one. It's all one solid piece, and then there's this little notch carved right there that lines up with the back seam. Another Kloz attribute is that the fluting of the scroll actually, instead of stopping right here, will continue on all the way up the mouth of the scroll. And this one does. The thing for me is that it-it doesn't quite look 1760s. Still definitely, I would say 18th century.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: Um, but a little bit later.
GUEST: Later.
APPRAISER: I do think it is Kloz family, but I-I don't think it is by Georg. The Kloz family, there were many, many makers. I would feel comfortable saying that this instrument would sell for $15,000 in today's market.
GUEST: Thank you. I-I was hoping for a definitive Georg Kloz creator, but we'll keep it in the family for a long time.
$15,000 Retail
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Understanding Our Appraisals
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.
