1905 Spokane Bird's-eye View Lithograph
Watch
GUEST:
My husband and I were at a charity auction, and I liked it, and so we bid on it, and we got it.
APPRAISER:
Uh-huh.
GUEST:
The person who offered it at the charity said it had been hanging in the courthouse.
APPRAISER:
Uh-huh.
GUEST:
And it hangs in our office now. And when people come to our office, they can point out where they lived, and say the detail is very precise.
APPRAISER:
Well, this is part of a great number of prints that were made primarily after the American Civil War. It's called a bird's-eye view. And these were made by mapmakers who would actually make a map of a community, and then they would extrapolate what it looked like from an angle, so that you would be able to see the streets. And, of course, it shows the pride of Spokane, the great falls with the water pouring forth. And it's all very dramatic. This is done through lithography, and they would have used more than one plate to get the various shades and colors. This was done in 1905. The inset showing Fort Wright is there, because Fort Wright is not in that grid pattern. It's farther down the river, but it was important to the settlement. What did you pay for this at the auction?
GUEST:
Uh, $400.
APPRAISER:
You paid $400 for this! Let me tell you something. If this was in a shop, they would have this at about $5,500 to $6,000.
GUEST:
Whoa! Wow!
APPRAISER:
It is really wonderful. The fact that something so big lasted in such good condition for so long is, is really remarkable.
GUEST:
Oh, well, thank you.
APPRAISER:
So, yeah.
GUEST:
That's great.
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.
