Zuni Olla, ca. 1885
GUEST:
The pot came from my great-aunt. She moved out to Tucson, Arizona, in about the mid-'60s, late '60s. While she was driving out there in Tucson, Arizona, she saw the pot on the side of the road. (chuckling) And she just picked it up.
APPRAISER:
Just lying on the side of the road?
GUEST:
Just lying on the side of the road.
APPRAISER:
That happens to me all the time.
GUEST (laughing): Right. I really know nothing about it. She thought that it was a Navajo pot. Okay. But one time, when I was in the Field Museum, I saw a pot similar to it under the Zuni display. And so I thought, well, it, it must not be Navajo, it must be Zuni.
APPRAISER:
Now, the first thing that we do is, we look at the style. This is a classic rain bird design from the Zuni. The clay is Zuni. Now, the shape is interesting. Feel this slope here. This is diagnostic for 1880 to 1890. In a lot of cases, condition is a big deal, and I know that you noticed this damage. Actually, the damage is helpful to us-- a pot that's been used is going to be damaged. This is called an olla, or a short-necked jar. When we measured it, we saw this was 14-and-a-quarter inches in diameter. That's very, very large. So now I guess we know it's real.
GUEST (chuckling): Okay.
APPRAISER:
What do you think it's worth?
GUEST:
Originally, I thought it was maybe only about a hundred, a couple of hundred dollars.
APPRAISER:
A couple of hundred dollars.
GUEST:
Because it was so damaged. I thought it's not worth much.
APPRAISER:
All right, all right. I can do a little bit better than that.
GUEST (chuckling): Okay.
APPRAISER:
Zuni is really hot right now. In a private gallery, I think you're looking at $15,000 to $25,000.
GUEST (laughing): Oh, my gosh. That's unbelievable.
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.