KPM Plaque in Austrian Frame, ca. 1885
Watch
GUEST:
We went to a gentleman's house to buy some old toys. And he carried me out in a... a shed he's got, and this was hanging on a nail in the shed. He didn't want to sell it, so I called him two more times. He carried it to several antique shops and then called me back and told me what he would take for it. He said that he got it at the end of the Second World War, but he didn't say where.
APPRAISER:
You got to tell me how much you paid for it.
GUEST:
$700.
APPRAISER:
And how long ago was this?
GUEST:
About three years.
APPRAISER:
Someone pointed out earlier, they said, "You know, the frame is nice, but it's got some damage." And they were pointing to this area and some of the other areas that look like they're cracked and split. That's not damage. That's original to the frame. The frame is what we call a ruined columns frame.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
And originally, it would have had all those splits built into it to make it look like ruined columns that have been overgrown. It's original to the plaque in the center. The whole thing was probably made about 1885, when this particular style was very popular. The only thing bad I'd say about it is, part of the frame, and that it's been painted with gold radiator paint or something. Someone's had a go and sprayed it, and that's unfortunate. The best part of it is the plaque in the center. It's a porcelain plaque made in Berlin, in Germany. And there's a history of porcelain painting in Berlin that goes back a couple of hundred years. But at this period, they really got it right. They really knew how to paint figures, and especially beautiful, alluring young women. And she's got all the right ingredients-- the scale, the quality of the painting, the subject matter-- to make her a very valuable Berlin plaque. On the back of her, she has the initials KPM. That tells us it was made in Berlin, and at the Royal Porcelain Works of Germany. KPM plaques are all valuable, and their value depends on the subject matter and the scale, and the condition and so on. This is about as good as they get. Everything's great about the porcelain, and that original frame is really going to add to it. I think, if you spend the time and the trouble and the money to have the frame restored back to its original condition-- which was probably wood with some gilding on it-- that could be expensive, but it'd be worth it. In this condition, at auction, it's worth over $10,000.
GUEST:
Oh, Lord!
APPRAISER:
We think it could bring as much as $12,000 or $14,000.
GUEST:
That's unreal. I didn't... I was thinking a lot less.
APPRAISER:
I would think, with $1,000 worth of restoration costs in the frame, that $1,000 could be well spent and even elevate another couple of thousand.
GUEST:
All right!
Appraisal Details
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.
