Cochiti Pueblo Pot, ca. 1900
Watch
GUEST:
It's a Cochiti pot. I got it at a garage sale in northern Texas.
APPRAISER:
Did you have to pay a great deal for it?
GUEST:
No, I didn't. Fifteen dollars.
APPRAISER:
You paid $15?
GUEST:
I did.
APPRAISER:
Do you have a sense of what this might be worth now?
GUEST:
Not totally. I was offered $1,000, sight unseen.
APPRAISER:
Okay, well, it's a very large object.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
It's pottery, it's from Cochiti Pueblo, as you said, in New Mexico, along the Rio Grande, south of Santa Fe. Pots like this are really desirable because they're so large and so decorative. And they also are fairly rare. They break, they're more difficult to make. Pottery of this type is made from the coil method. It's sort of like taking dough, rolling it around, building up the sides, and then softening it with a rag or a stone, and then, of course, painting. The painted designs on this pot are ancient designs. The top of this pot has these little dashes, those are rain indications.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
A pot like this could hold water, foodstuffs, the top could be sealed off to prevent evaporation.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
One of the things I particularly love about this pot... The big ancient designs-- bird feather designs, cloud motifs, these are traditional. One of the wonderful aspects, I think, on this pot, is a rather whimsical design on the two sides. This design, and it's an absolute Cochiti creation, is a sunflower, and on one of the leaves of the sunflower, there's a cloud motif.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
So all of these designs have to do with agriculture, propitiation of the vegetal spirits, if you will. The condition on this pot I consider to be exceptional. There is one chip on the rim.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
This is an older pot, though, and I would call that a no-harm nick. Your $15 acquisition price was just fabulous, and the $1,000 offer was probably good, but perhaps if the folks had seen it in person, they would have been more impressed. This is a large pot. I think on a retail basis, this pot today would bring in the neighborhood of $8,500.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
You made a remarkable acquisition.
GUEST:
I did.
APPRAISER:
How long have you had it?
GUEST:
I've had it 39 years.
APPRAISER:
Well, you've taken good care of it.
GUEST:
Thank you.
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.
