Tiffany Studios Lily Sconces, ca. 1905
GUEST: These were in my parents' home. It was a historical home that was in The National Historical Society. And I was told that my father and his first wife, uh, brought them over from Europe. Uh, they used to go over and collect antiques. And I know they hung in our house for about 50 years. It was my childhood home. Um, and when I closed the house, um, about a year ago, um, I pulled them off the wall and-and took them with me. I think that they might be Tiffany's, but I'm not sure.
APPRAISER: Yes, these are Tiffany Studios sconces.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: They were made somewhere between 1900 and probably 1905. I think that these are on the early side particularly because they're just very delicate and maybe even a little smaller than the shades that you see produced a little later. They're all hand-blown.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: And they-- while they look similar, they're always just a little bit different. These came in different finishes. The gold finish meant it cost a little more, because the metal is actually gold plated.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And what is lovely about these is that you have the original switches.
GUEST: (chuckles)
APPRAISER: I love to see those. There are some screws missing on the sconce plates.
GUEST: Yeah, I actually, I do have them at home. I'm sorry, I didn't think we would be displaying them today. But I do have all the original pieces with it.
APPRAISER: Well, it's great that you have them because they're really hard to get, the originals.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: Don't lose sight of them ever.
GUEST: I won't. (chuckles)
APPRAISER: Now, as for the shades, the shades are pretty dirty.
GUEST: Yes, they are. I was scared to clean them.
APPRAISER: I don't blame you. I was scared to take these out of their holders. I was tempted because I wanted to see if there were any signatures on the ends.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: Because if there are signatures on the necks of the shades, then they're obscured by the cluster that's holding them.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: Frankly, I always say the signature is not how you determine whether something is real. I look at these shades and I know they're real.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: I don't need to look for a signature.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: If the signature's there, great.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: But it's not critical to the value of the sconces.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: You do have one shade that...
GUEST: Yes, right here, yes. .
APPRAISER: ..has cracks.
GUEST: (chuckles) Yes.
APPRAISER: And someone way back when put two pieces of scotch tape there.
GUEST: It's very old and dirty. (chuckles)
APPRAISER: But it's, it... you know, something that didn't cause any further loss, so.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: It was actually a good solution.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: If these were in a retail shop, these would be very sought after because they're five lights.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: Usually, they came in three lights. Um, sometimes they come in different configurations. Sometimes the metalwork is more detailed.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: But because these are five lights, they have more value.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And I would put a retail price on these of $45,000 to $55,000.
GUEST (chuckling): Oh, my gosh. Really? Wow. That is incredible. Wow. That, that's amazing. I was told they were valuable, but not by any means that kind of value. So that's amazing.
APPRAISER: If you were to replace the shade, it could cost as much as $3,000 to $4,000, but it would increase the overall value of the sconces to as much as $65,000.
GUEST: Okay.
$45,000 - $55,000 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.
