GUEST: Well, I went to a garage sale at a community center, and I love pottery, and I saw these two pots, and I purchased them for 25 cents each.

APPRAISER: When?

GUEST: About a month and a half ago.

APPRAISER: Oh, recently.

GUEST: Mmm-hmm.

APPRAISER: These are both from San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: They were probably made right at the same time, which would be the late '20s, early '30s. But the maker was not the same.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: These are two different potters.

GUEST: Interesting.

APPRAISER: And this one is signed and you can see it says "Maria and Julian." That's Maria and Julian Martinez, and she was a prominent potter from the early 20th century until the 1970s. Maria signed those pots "Maria and Julian" in a pretty specific time in the '20s and up to the very early '30s. Julian died fairly young, but he's the one who did these slit decorations on here.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: This one is unsigned. It's also really scuffed up.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And if you look at the edge, this is very regular.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: The thickness is real even and clean. This is real... uneven.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And it's the difference between a master and a potter. They're beautiful pots that really reflect that '20s Art Deco aesthetic. The value of this type of pottery from San Ildefonso is the condition. So if one's scuffed up, it kind of kills the marketability. If this pot came up at auction it would be probably a grand total of $20.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: This one's worth $400 to $600.

GUEST: You're kidding!

APPRAISER: No. So it was 25 cents well spent.

GUEST: ...well spent! (laughing) Yay!