Peter Moran Painting, ca. 1880
Watch
GUEST:
Well, all I really know about it is, it used to hang in my grandmother's house in Corpus Christi. And after she passed away, it came to our house. And then it hung over the couch in our house for a long time. And then now it's at my house.
APPRAISER:
So it's still hanging up.
GUEST:
It's been protected in a box, but it's in our house. And we're trying to find a place for it.
APPRAISER:
Okay. And you knew that it was signed somewhere.
GUEST:
I did, I just couldn't read it because it's so dark.
APPRAISER:
Well, I have to say, it took me a little while to decipher the signature today.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
It's right down here, in the dark area.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
The first thing I was able to read was "Moran." There's a very famous American artist named Thomas Moran, who's known for painting the Grand Canyon...
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
...and, and lots of wonderful Western landscapes.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And his record price is almost $5 million at auction.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
However, this is his younger brother.
GUEST:
Well, that's good. (laughs)
APPRAISER:
He actually had two brothers who were artists.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
He had one brother named Edward, who painted marine pictures.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And then this is the youngest brother, Peter, who was born in 1841. And he's known for his studies of animals.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And we can see here that he has lovingly depicted these cows in a landscape.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
He lived in Philadelphia, and he would often go out into the Pennsylvania countryside...
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
...and paint these bucolic landscapes.
GUEST:
Right
APPRAISER:
And I think it's just a wonderful picture into 19th-century life, and I think it probably would date from the late 19th century. Do you have any idea what it might be worth?
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
Any guess?
GUEST:
We, we were guessing maybe $800-- we didn't know, no clue.
APPRAISER:
Well, one of the thing that makes it really great, as far as the presentation...
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
...is the fact that it has this original frame...
GUEST:
I know. Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...which is so ornate. And what's amazing is what great condition it's in.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And maybe it's because you were keeping it in a crate.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
But it is unusual not to see big hunks missing.
GUEST:
It is, it is pretty.
APPRAISER:
I think this might bring about $25,000 if it were sold in a retail gallery.
GUEST:
Oh, my gosh! Well, that sure beats $800! I'm loving the cows! (laughs) I am loving the cows, that is awesome.
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.
