L. C. Tiffany Favrile Vases, ca. 1920
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GUEST:
Well, I saw them at a house sale. I was paying for another piece-- in fact, I'd just finished paying for it-- and I saw them sitting on a windowsill, and the light shined through one of them, and I was thinking I needed a red vase, so I went back and went over and looked at them, and ended up picking them up, and saw the signature on them, and it says Tiffany, and I don't know whether they're really Tiffany or not really Tiffany, but I thought they were very pretty red vases that I needed for flowers.
APPRAISER:
First thing that I want to bring to attention is this tape on the piece.
GUEST (laughing): Yes.
APPRAISER:
And you, you got these how long ago?
GUEST:
Oh, I'd say five, six months ago.
APPRAISER:
Okay, and as we can see, it says "$10.00" on there.
GUEST:
It still says ten dollars on there.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
I purchased them both. I believe they were both ten dollars, so I think this one had a ten-dollar tape on it, too, that I did get the tape off of that one.
APPRAISER:
Okay, well, when you find a pair that are high-end-type pieces, you should be suspicious to begin with. One would then compare the signatures on the piece. We did that at the table earlier, when you had your back turned. And the shape is rather classic. And it has a nice iridized foot. They have nice striations on the inside. And it's a cased glass.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
So, we try to then form an opinion, do we have a reproduction here, because it's a pair...
GUEST:
Sure.
APPRAISER:
And the odds of finding a ten-dollar Tiffany vase...
GUEST:
Sure, yes. Very slim, I thought so myself.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, very slim.
GUEST (laughs): Yes.
APPRAISER:
However, we're going to get fatter, because you have a wonderful eye for glass.
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
And these are, in fact, Tiffany.
GUEST:
Oh, my goodness-- oh, my goodness!
APPRAISER:
And...
GUEST:
Oh, that's a thrill to know.
APPRAISER:
They're worth $10,000 to $15,000 retail for the pair.
GUEST:
Are you serious?
APPRAISER:
I am serious.
GUEST:
(laughing): Oh, my goodness.
APPRAISER:
I am serious.
GUEST:
Oh, I think I better take the ten-dollar tag off.
APPRAISER:
I cannot believe it. (both laughing)
Appraisal Details
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