1831 "Timoleon" Scrimshaw Tooth
Watch
GUEST:
I acquired it from my dad when he passed away probably about 15 years ago, and he acquired it from a guy.
APPRAISER:
Did he buy it from him?
GUEST:
You know, I don't think he bought it. They worked together and I think he gave it to him.
APPRAISER:
Gave it to him as a gift.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
This is the log of the voyage that started on Christmas day in 1831 of the whaling ship Timoleon, and it lists where they anchored, when it sailed and the dates, and it was a long sail because it started in '31 out of New Bedford and ended in 1835. Logging teeth are rather rare, but another rare thing about this particular tooth is its height; it's a huge tooth, it's an eight-inch tooth, which is very, very desirable for collectors. On the reverse side, they have the picture of the ship, the whaling ship Timoleon, and it also says the name of the ship here and the master, which is J. Bunker. It doesn't list the whales that they caught, but it lists all the locations that they went to. And it was quite a busy ship, as you can tell from the log. I think conservatively, at retail, it'd probably sell somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000.
GUEST:
Oh my, really? That's unreal.
APPRAISER:
So your father gave you a nice thing.
GUEST:
Yeah, I know it. It's going to move a little bit closer on the fireplace.
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.
