Moorcroft Cornflower Vase, ca. 1935
Watch
GUEST:
When I would come home from college when I was in my 20s, I noticed this new addition to the living room, and I thought it was pretty. But I was really busy and I didn't pay a lot of attention to it. But then as my mother got older, one day I found it in my bedroom. And I realized that she wanted me to have it. And upon her passing, it came to me. And I've had it ever since. We never talked about it. I just admired it and said, "Oh, it's a pretty piece."
APPRAISER:
Okay, you know it's Moorcroft.
GUEST:
Yes, I looked on the bottom. And what I've noticed, it's just such a pretty color. That it's...
APPRAISER:
It's, it's a very unusual color. It's a cornflower design, which is one that you see in quite a bit Moorcroft. But the glaze is called powder blue. And it's a blue on blue. It's a really beautiful glaze. It has the speckling in it. That's very typical of the powder blue glaze. Dates from around 1935. And you see the raised areas where the flowers are?
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
That's done with tube lining. It's like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube, but a thin line. And they would tube line the design on here, and then women would come in and put the colors on.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
So it's a two-step process. Then the glaze would be put on it, and it would be fired. And it's really a beautiful shape, beautiful form, and nice glaze there.
GUEST:
Well, thank you. I've-- it's in a prized place in my home, and I've always enjoyed it. And I have lots of cats and dogs running around. So I do have it in a secure place.
APPRAISER:
Have you thought about value?
GUEST:
Well, yes, actually, I have. And... I don't know. My mother never said a thing about value. We didn't talk about stuff like that. But I would say $300, maybe?
APPRAISER:
Well, let's bump that up a little bit. In today's market, it's probably, at auction, would bring somewhere between $1,200 and $1,700.
GUEST:
Wow!
APPRAISER:
So, yeah, wow.
GUEST:
(exhales)
APPRAISER:
It's a beautiful piece. It's big, has a lot going for it, and in pristine condition, so...
GUEST:
Thank you so much. I'm, I'm stunned.
APPRAISER:
Well, good.
GUEST:
I'm going to put it in an even safer place.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, keep the cats and dogs away, and...
GUEST:
I'll do my best.
APPRAISER:
It's nice, it's sweet.
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.
