20th-Century Grace McArthur Folk Art Paintings
Watch
GUEST:
These are Folk Art oil paintings by Grace McArthur. Grace McArthur is a Michigan artist from Rosebush, a friend of my mother's. When I was a little girl, Mother took me to her studio in Rosebush. So this picture was my mother's that I received. These are the four seasons. These were my mother's. And this picture, Grace McArthur came to our wedding reception, brought us this picture. And there's a little bride and groom in it right there. So we've had it 44 years, since we were married.
APPRAISER:
That's a great story. When you set them on the table at the Folk Art
table, I guess you could tell that I really liked them.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Well, to me, these are a perfect example of somebody painting the way they knew how to paint. They were not a trained artist. They were doing things that meant something to them. There's other artists out there, like Grandma Moses, and people like that, that did rural scenes with lots of detail in them. And this lady has significance because she's local, and she died in 1985-- and she was born before 1900. So she had a long lifetime. So what year were you married?
GUEST:
1974.
APPRAISER:
Then I'd say we're pretty safe saying circa 1974 on at least the one you got for your wedding day.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
And then the ones belonged to your mother could have been before or after that.
GUEST:
I think they were before.
APPRAISER:
Okay. You see things like this, and you know immediately that there's always going to be people regionally that are going to appreciate these. And after talking with my colleagues, we decided that these together probably, for retail purposes would be about $2,000.
GUEST:
Wow. That's neat. My mother would be happy.
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.
