The mantel clock had been on the living room shelf for years. It was a stately relic from another century, and when my father gave it to me years ago, he told me it had been in the family for generations. But beyond that, I knew nothing about it — especially how much it was worth.
Then there was the old pocket watch: gold, with a cracked white dial, probably having belonged to my great-grandfather. How old? Who knew?
The appraisers at “Antiques Roadshow,” that’s who.
Months ago I sent in a lottery application for tickets to the “Roadshow” visit to Denver last weekend. The Mile High City was one of six stops on a nationwide summer tour to troll for treasures and treasure-owners for PBS’s most popular prime-time show.
Six weeks ago, the tickets arrived in the mail.
Along with the timepieces, my wife wanted to ask about two dolls, one with a bisque china face and hands and a kid-leather body, the other that had been my father’s in the 1920s. The interesting thing about the latter, given the era, was that the doll was black.
So when the “Roadshow” rolled into the Colorado Convention Center, my wife, my 14-year-old sons — improbable “Antiques Roadshow” fans — and I were there, with nearly 6,000 others.
Since I was writing about the experience, we had a guide, Pamela Osborne, director of marketing for Rocky Mountain PBS, one of a group of production people and others helping the “Roadshow” crew.
Visitors were given tickets to one or two of the 25 categorized tables staffed by antiques appraisers who volunteer to appear on the show and, hopefully, to attract valuable exposure. “The appraisers look for something that will get them on television,” Osborne said.
The most popular table each year, Osborne told me, deals with paintings. But we went straight to the clocks station, where John Delaney of Delaney’s Antique Clocks in West Townsend, Mass., and Gary Sullivan of Gary R. Sullivan Antiques in nearby Sharon, Mass., surveyed my clock.
It was made by the Ansonia Clock Co. of Brooklyn, N.Y., in the 1890s, they said. But it wasn’t one of the company’s top-end products. “They were imitating with painted cast iron a more expensive clock made of black marble,” Delaney said.
Ansonia made tens of thousands of this model, which doesn’t help its value. “We see them in New England all the time,” Sullivan said.
The cracks in the dial didn’t help, either, though Delaney, possibly to cheer me up, noted that the twin columns on either side of the face made it “fancier” than some other versions.
The bottom line? At auction the clock would go for just $60 to $75, though once a retailer cleaned it up for resale, it would fetch $175 to $225. “I’m sorry it’s not going to change your lifestyle,” Sullivan said.
At the adjoining table, Charles Tearle, a watch expert at Antiquorum auctioneers in Beverly Hills, Calif., sized up the pocket watch. My great-grandfather’s timepiece, made in 1914 by the Illinois Watch Co. of Springfield, Ill., had an interesting, if pedestrian, pedigree.
Tearle said, “It has all the characteristics of a railroad watch,” — a no-nonsense workingman’s watch prized for its durability and accuracy.
I was fascinated when he unscrewed the bezel and took off the glass cover to reveal a tiny lever at 2 o’clock, just off the watch’s dial. Unless that lever is pulled out, the hands can’t be moved.
Tearle explained that railroads, which set specifications for trainmen’s watches (but didn’t pay for them), demanded that feature following an accident caused by a switchman’s watch showing the incorrect time. The hands can’t be moved by accident.
The worn case and cracked enamel dial reflect the pocket watch’s daily use and solid link to its owner, Tearle said, characteristics of a possession cherished for generations. That’s why so many of them are still around, and why he put its value below $100.
The story was much the same for the dolls. My wife’s bisque china-faced doll, made between 1890 and 1920 by Armand Marseille, a German porcelain factory, had thousands of sisters, many of which still sit in boxes, closets and cabinets around the country.
“This is the doll we see most on the ‘Roadshow,’ ” said appraiser Andy Ourant of Adamstown, Pa.
Its value? About $150.
My father’s doll, made in the 1920s or 1930s by the Horsman Doll Co. and in well-loved condition, is worth maybe $10.
The stories of people we met varied. Robert Hill of Westminster brought in a sword that had belonged to his great-great-grandfather, a member of the 27th Maine Regiment during the Civil War. Hill thought it was worth a couple of hundred dollars, but, as he was being taped for one of three Denver segments to air in 2010, he heard a different estimate: $12,000.
Suzanne West of Castle Rock had picked up three firearms, including a pair of pre-Revolutionary War officer’s pistols, at an estate sale 10 years ago for $1,500. She learned on-camera that the pistols — wood, sterling and brass beauties made in London in 1760 — are worth $7,000. “I’ll go insure them now,” she said with a wide smile.
But Patrice Schell of Cederedge and her father learned a hard lesson about antiques.
“You have to resist the urge to clean old things,” she said. Her father had dutifully polished the century-old 20-gauge shotgun she brought in and had reduced its value to $75. But the Pima Indian basket her mother had bought for 50 cents at a “junk store” was appraised at $800 to $1,000.
The high appraisals were fun, of course, but they seemed to be the exception. Most of the hopefuls, including my little band, got what we really came for: a little history, a glimpse into our ancestors’ lives, and an appreciation for experts who can unravel some of the mysteries of time.
Got some old stuff? Here’s some appraisal advice
You didn’t get tickets to “Antiques Roadshow,” but you still want to know whether Grandma Tillie’s elegant lamp or Grandpa Earl’s windup toy is worth anything. What to do?
First, decide whether you want a formal appraisal, for a sale, insurance or similar purpose, or if you just want to know roughly what that lamp is worth and its history.
For the first type of appraisal, start with an Internet or Yellow Pages search, and ask friends, antiques dealers or auction houses. Or go to the websites of the American Society of Appraisers (appraisers.org), the International Society of Appraisers () or the Appraisers Association of America (), advised David Lackey of David Lackey Antiques & Art in Houston. Each site has a search engine allowing you to look for appraisers by location or specialty.
For a ballpark appraisal, Lackey suggested approaching dealers or auction houses with the piece or photos (or sending them photos online) and asking for an estimate. Most will oblige, either with a rough estimate, a range of prices or a hint (“I don’t give estimates for items under $500”), said Lackey, who manned the pottery and porcelain table at the “Antiques Roadshow” Denver visit.
You should know what the appraisal or estimate represents: what you could sell it for, what it should be insured for or the price a dealer would give you. Each can be different, said Jack Wartell, who with his wife, Judy Boxer, operates Denver-based Antique Trader Appraisals ().
Don’t use an appraiser who asks for a percentage of the value, Wartell advises. That’s an invitation for a falsely high number. Look for an hourly or flat rate. Also, your appraiser shouldn’t be your buyer, which could trigger a low appraisal.
Wartell said good appraisers could be found for $65 to $90 an hour. Lackey, in a different market, put the range at $100 to $200.
Wartell recommended antiques price guides published annually by Kovels and Warman’s and available at bookstores and . Lackey suggested “Antiques Roadshow Primer” and “Antiques Roadshow Collectibles,” available at , and bookstores.
Michael Rudeen
WEEKEND PROJECT
Thrifting for old treasures
The well-known Denver residential and commercial interior designer Jeffrey Elliott took The Denver Post along on a thrift- and consignment- store shopping trip. Known for his comfortable, cool and trendsetting nightclub and restaurant spaces (A Bar, Lotus, Blue 67), Elliott’s work has been featured in Western Interiors, House Beautiful, Elle Decor and Mountain Living. He shared tips for spotting a gem among the junk at secondhand stores or estate sales. Here’s what Elliott said vintage and antiques treasure-hunters should look for.
Design. When considering a piece of used furniture, first decide whether the shape and lines of the piece are artistic, attractive and appealing.
Weight. Heavier chairs and couches indicate they have solid frames and good coils. Elliott says vintage furniture shoppers should closely inspect the hind legs on a chair or sofa to make sure they match the front legs. This will also indicate whether the frame is solid from top to bottom. When it comes to dining sets, Elliott says quality tables should include a leaf with a full lip on each side and not just a slab of wood that fits into the table.
Labels. Most good furniture and furnishings will be marked or stamped on the bottom. Elliott suggests that anyone interested in interior design from a particular era should do a little research before shopping to find out which manufacturers dominated that period.
Condition. Although old upholstery is almost always in poor condition, the furniture’s outer appearance is a good indication of what kind of condition the frame is in. Elana Ashanti Jefferson
