Wedgwood Jasperware High-heel Shoes
APPRAISER:
These are a superb pair of ladies' leather shoes made by Rayne in England. However, if we turn them over, we notice that the heel is actually made of Wedgwood Jasperware. They're quite remarkable, and something, perhaps, to point out, that these people are by appointment to Her Majesty the Queen. So I think that perhaps reflects a little bit on the quality of these things. Absolutely charming. Tell me about how you came by these.
GUEST:
Well, I found these at a yard sale in Phoenix.
APPRAISER:
You did, really, and how much did you pay for them?
GUEST:
Well, I... between five and ten dollars. I think it was eight dollars.
APPRAISER:
Somewhere between five and ten dollars. Amazing. We should be looking for Cinderella who we could at least throw these to. It's like a glass slipper, absolutely fantastic. The marking says "Wedgwood, made in England" so they're really not very old at all but something that I really think a Wedgwood collector would be seriously interested in. Let me tell you a little bit about Wedgwood Jasperware. This is the typical Wedgwood blue that we find, and this white relief decoration of a dancing nymph would have been molded and then applied onto that heel before it's finally fired and then transformed into this marvelous ladies' shoe. You paid between five and ten dollars. Did you, when you bought them, think that they might be worth a little more than that, perhaps?
GUEST:
Well, yeah, I did, because I know Wedgwood and I know they were Jasperware heels so I thought that they might be worth more, but...
APPRAISER:
Right. You must have had some rough idea, perhaps.
GUEST:
You know, like $65 or $70.
APPRAISER:
About $65 or $70. Well, I hope you're going to be very surprised. I would think that these very unusual pieces, if they were to come up at auction, would fetch somewhere between $400 and $600.
GUEST:
What a lovely investment!
APPRAISER:
So, a wonderful addition to any lady's closet, I must say.
GUEST:
Well, thank you.
APPRAISER:
Thank you for bringing them along.
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.