J. Falter "Listening to the Sea" Illustration, ca. 1956
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GUEST:
Well, the little girl is me at age five. And the little boy in the pseudo spacesuit was a young neighbor. And we were posing for my stepfather, John Falter, who was one of the artists painting for the Saturday Evening Post.
APPRAISER:
Well, when we think of American illustrator art, everyone thinks of Norman Rockwell. Especially because of the very high prices that his art has been bringing and because he's done a lot of Saturday Evening Post covers. But Norman Rockwell called John Falter one of America's most gifted illustrators. This is a fantastic cover. The fact that you have this picture, which depicts you in the same pose, just really is a charming, charming piece.
GUEST:
We were in my stepfather's studio outside San Francisco, and the background is all creative license.
APPRAISER:
John Falter, like a lot of the other Saturday Evening Post artists, has not risen to the sort of Norman Rockwell level. But there has been a lot more interest in this kind of second-tier sort of artist. As you probably know, about ten years ago, or earlier, this was a very hard thing to sell.
GUEST:
Yes, it was.
APPRAISER:
People weren't really looking for this. The market price on a picture like this was barely $5,000 to $7,000, and crept up to $10,000 to $15,000. Now, you've gotten this appraised. How much do you think it's valued at?
GUEST:
$50,000?
APPRAISER:
Well, this surge in price has only happened in the past five years.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And although it hasn't been record-breaking to the point of Rockwell, it's been record-breaking...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...towards Mr. Falter's prices.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
A few years ago, a Saturday Evening Post cover of Yankee Stadium, at auction, brought $150,000. That's a lot of money.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Now, Yankee Stadium, in the 1947 cover, is kind of a specialized category. This subject, though, is just as wonderful. As a presale auction estimate, something like this we would put between $100,000 to $150,000.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And I'm sure, since this is an heirloom...
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
...in your family, this is something that you're going to want to keep.
GUEST:
Absolutely.
APPRAISER:
And I would say for an insurance value...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...you should put at least $175,000 on it.
GUEST:
Okay, thank you.
Appraisal Details
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