Federal Inlaid Mahogany Games Table, ca. 1800
Watch
GUEST:
I inherited this from my grandparents 30 years ago and they were from Hagerstown, Maryland.
APPRAISER:
How did they get the table?
GUEST:
He was a minister, and they didn't have a whole lot, so, you know, a lot of things their parishioners gave them.
APPRAISER:
And you know what it's used for?
GUEST:
I was guessing it was a game table of some kind.
APPRAISER:
Exactly. In the 18th century, games tables or card tables, we call them, like this with a hinged leaf so the legs swing out in the back and you can play games on, were really popular. Your table is very English looking. It looks like a George III table because of the quality. Look at this beautiful mahogany, all this inlay. This is actually cherrywood, an American wood, these little bellflowers. And if we turn the table over this way, we can identify the secondary woods.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And this is where it gets sort of fun. You see these back rails?
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Those are made of American oak. And they're double swing rails. And that's a typical Maryland characteristic.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
And I believe that because of the double swing rails as well as the very distinctive inlay that it's not Baltimore, made right in the city, but western Maryland. This is a very rare western Maryland Federal games table, made about 1795 or 1800. This is all white pine, by the way.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
See that number? That's the number "2."
GUEST:
Oh!
APPRAISER:
So there was originally a pair. If you can find the other one, you know, you'd really have something. But on its own, this is an amazing table. We judge tables like this on the basis of proportion. And the quality is amazing. I mean, this leaf weighs a ton.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
It's really dense. Beautiful stripe, book-match wood. The condition is unbelievable. This is the original finish.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Which you know we love.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And collectors love. The market for card tables has gone down a bit. Not what it used to be. Except for tables like this.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
I would say at auction, this would be in the range of $6,000 to about $9,000.
GUEST:
Oh, very good. Very nice.
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.
