New England Federal Card Table, ca. 1800
GUEST: I had some friends, they asked me if I would come over and help with an estate sale. And I said, "Sure." I said, "What's in it for me?" And they said, "Well, you've had garage sales, and we want to use your expertise on prices."
APPRAISER: Right.
GUEST: So they said it'd be about three days. And then when they were done, I could have whatever I wanted.
APPRAISER: Right.
GUEST: That was left over. And this was one of the things that I acquired. There was a bunch of dishes piled on it, and nobody was looking at the table, 'cause they couldn't see it.
APPRAISER: 'Cause it was covered up. This is a Federal American table made in New England. And the great thing about American furniture is regionalism. So we can tell from the characteristics of this table where it was made in America, 'cause each area had its own distinct characteristics.
GUEST: Sure.
APPRAISER: Because different immigrants came over and started working in different traditions, and they all had their own style. So this is made, was made, I feel, north of Boston. And it's a Federal inlaid mahogany gaming table. This would have been a, a, a piece that would, would be very prominent in the home, you know, even though it was just used for games, so...
GUEST: Sure.
APPRAISER: If you look at the skirt, it has this thin veneer of mahogany, which has been cut and, and bookmatched. If you come down the legs, it's a double taper. All of a sudden it goes...(makes sound effect)
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: And that's very distinctive of this area in northeastern Massachusetts,
southern kind of New Hampshire. Made around 1800.
GUEST: Jeez.
APPRAISER: This table has a folding top. Right?
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: So that you could fold it out to play cards. And originally, that leg would swing out and support the leaf, right?
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: So at some point, somebody must have dropped this leaf...
GUEST: Oh!
APPRAISER: Right? W, without pulling the leg out.
GUEST: Yes, oh, yeah.
APPRAISER: You know what happens. And this is probably in the early 19th century, maybe 1820, 1825. When they, when they fixed it?
GUEST: That they fixed it. Oh, wow.
APPRAISER: I think, because they said, "I don't want to, I don't want to bring that leg out anymore. Let's, let's come up with something else."
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: And this is what really is fascinating to me. They said, "Let's, let's make a different kind of table. Let's alter this table." And if you don't mind spinning it, help me. If you hold the base, please.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: Thank you.
APPRAISER: They decided to make it a pivot top...
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: ...rather than a swing-leg card table. And, and that is so cool.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: But let's look quickly inside here.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: This is tulip poplar, and it's so green. It's just like almost the day it was cut. On the underside of this, you have this massive wing nut, and that's that mechanism, of course, by which the top pivots.
GUEST: Yep.
APPRAISER: Have you thought about value for this?
GUEST: I have thought about value, but I don't have a value. I had a person o, a standing offer of $100 for it.
APPRAISER: You could put a retail value on this table of $2,500.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: That's not bad for a few days' work for your friend.
GUEST: No, not at all.
$2,500 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.
