Federal Walnut Document Box, ca. 1800
Watch
GUEST:
This was in my mother's family, it was my mother's grandmother's, and I've always loved it. I had an uncle that used to sit on it.
APPRAISER:
He used to sit on, on this.
GUEST:
And put his socks on every morning.
APPRAISER:
Okay.
GUEST:
And take his shoes off, I'm sure, at night. Threw his dirty socks inside.
APPRAISER:
Inside there.
GUEST (laughing): Yes.
APPRAISER:
I thought I, I thought I smelled something. I don't know, it's, like...
GUEST:
Yes, right, there you go. There you go.
APPRAISER:
It's still got that scent.
GUEST:
But they say that you can see his little bottom end marks.
APPRAISER:
You know, with some imagination, I can imagine that.
GUEST (laughing): I don't know if that's... My mother always said that this was used as a document box.
APPRAISER:
This piece is made in the tradition of Philadelphia. And Philadelphia cabinet makers, during the Federal period, when this was made-- 17... probably 90, okay, to about 1805-- were using inlay, like this light-wood stringing. The piece itself is walnut with this light-wood inlay, which is probably holly. These were made with a compass. They took the compass, made the incision, and inlaid this. Also, this banding, and coming down, this wonderful veneered skirt with flared French-style feet. So you have all these Philadelphia characteristics. Cabinet makers moved west and then down the Shenandoah Valley and then spread out, so they were making pieces in this style all through Virginia and Maryland. So it very well could be Virginia.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
It also could be western Pennsylvania. You probably know that the hinges have been replaced, right?
GUEST:
Exactly.
APPRAISER:
And this has a little patch here. Somebody let this drop, way before your uncle sat on it. This piece of wood's been replaced right here. The color in there is just great. It's really been used. And it probably was a document box, but you could store almost anything in it. The fact that it's been used, the fact that, when you close it back up, the stringing on the side and the front matches the stringing that's down at the bottom, we know that lid's original, okay?
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And when we turn it upside down, look at this wonderful oxidation here. Look at that nice color. A little chip in the plane that planed that board. All that's what we love to see. And do you see where this block fell off, this glue block?
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
That attached the bottom board to the front. And the witness mark matches between the back of the skirt and that bottom. So that's, that's evidence, it's, like, that those were connected for 200 years or so. So we know it's right. We know it's a Federal piece. I've talked to some of my colleagues. We've got a consensus here. Retail value on this little box, I would say, $7,000.
GUEST:
Ooh, thank you!
APPRAISER:
That's pretty neat. I tell you, I don't think your uncle would sit on it anymore if he knew that, though, probably.
GUEST (laughs): No, I don't think so. No, I don't think so.
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.
