Regency Mahogany Cellarette, ca. 1820
GUEST:
We inherited this from my mother-in-law. She called it a wine cooler. I tell people that I keep a six-pack of beer in here at all times.
APPRAISER:
Six-pack of beer.
GUEST:
We think that it came from England. She paid around $1,500 about 1952. I don't know its history, but it looks like somebody had this in a special place where they were dipping wine...
APPRAISER:
It was a special place.
GUEST:
...or whatever they're, so...
APPRAISER:
You're right there. Do you have any idea of, of the age?
GUEST:
I'll guess 1800s, but I don't know.
APPRAISER:
What you brought, and it's really, it's got-- I'm pretty excited about it-- is a wonderful Regency cellarette, which is also a wine cooler. So when you said you like to keep, you keep a six-pack in it once in a while, that's, that would be a good thing to put in here, because it was made to hold libations, right? It typifies, as a cellarette, the Regency period. The term "Regency" comes from the Prince of Wales who ruled as the prince regent during the illness of his father. And he ruled between 1811 and 1820. This is made probably right around somewhere in the 1820s. And it was made in London. And when you open up this top, right on top here, and it actually says, "T. Wilson, Queen Street, London." And we found out that he was a retailer of furniture in London and he lived from right around 1799 to the 1850s, so we know... We know who retailed this-- it wasn't who made it. This could have been made by one of the great London cabinetmakers-- the quality's amazing. You have these ebonized caps on top. Wonderful reeding on this freestanding, almost, column. You see how you can put your finger around the back here? And then these tapered feet with wonderful brass casters. And so the panels here, which, they really feature, are these mahogany panels with ebony banding. The ebony was often imported into London. And it's that contrast that makes the piece great-- the contrast between the solid mahogany, the veneers, these wonderful crotch-figured mahogany, and then the, the inlay. So all together, it's a beautiful thing. This has a lot of pizzazz. In a shop in, let's say, in New York, you'd price a piece like this-- stamped, we even know who retailed it-- in the range of about $15,000 to $16,000. So ten times what you thought, 15...
GUEST:
Do you know CPR?
APPRAISER:
(laughing) Do I know CPR...
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.