Painted Two-drawer Blanket Chest, ca. 1820
Watch
GUEST:
This is a painted blanket chest. It's lift-top, and it's false-grained.
APPRAISER:
And where did you get it?
GUEST:
Um, somewhere in New England, I don't recall exactly where I got it.
APPRAISER:
And how long have you had it?
GUEST:
Probably about 30 years.
APPRAISER:
And this is probably from northern New England, Vermont or New Hampshire, possibly even Massachusetts. It was painted in this black and red to resemble mahogany or some sort of other exotic wood not available to a rural cabinet-maker working in Vermont or New Hampshire in about 1820, when we think this was made.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
It is a lift-top two-drawer blanket chest. You might also hear it referred to in the Midwest as a mule chest. The paint has survived in very good condition over the years. It's made of poplar, and poplar shrinks and cracks, and with that, sometimes, you do tend to get paint loss, so the paint is, is in good shape, especially on the top, where you would expect it to get the most wear. One of my favorite things about it is that the grained surface is contrasted by the drawer fronts, which are smoke-decorated. The drawers would have been painted white and then scorched with an open flame to create this sort of wispy pattern of black. If this were to come to auction, it would be estimated in the $800 to $1,200 range.
GUEST:
Terrific.
APPRAISER:
Do you remember about what you paid for it?
GUEST:
It was probably under $500.
APPRAISER:
Sounds to me like you're making money on a piece of furniture, which is not what everyone can say these days.
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.
