U.S. Indian Service Worker Archive, ca. 1895
Watch
GUEST:
My great-grandfather worked for the U.S. government, and he worked with the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes out in Watonga, Oklahoma, west of here. He sent a letter to my grandmother. She was about nine at the time.
APPRAISER:
Mm-hmm.
GUEST:
And, in the letter, it references that the wife of the Cheyenne chief had made a little paint pouch. And so, he sent the paint pouch, and then he also sent the doll moccasins. It was in the August of 1895.
APPRAISER:
You also have his ledger. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
GUEST:
Right, it's his logbook.
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
And, in it, he explains all of the implements that he gave for them. They were helping him with agricultural products. Also, he lists all of their names, their children.
APPRAISER:
Right. Well, it's fascinating as a document because it gives us a picture of the foundation of the Cheyenne nation on the reservations at the time.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
Almost all of these people in the ledger are documented in archival photographs from the time, as well.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
So, we have this really interesting, very poignant letter to his daughter, missing his family. With these sort of small, decorative objects he's sending, gives us a really interesting picture of a time when there's not a lot of archival information. These group of objects, they're probably valued modestly around $400 to $600.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
The letter, we think it would be about $1,000 to $1,500. And the ledger itself, because it's so important archivally, more like $1,500 to $2,500.
GUEST:
Okay, good!
APPRAISER:
So the entire collection altogether, if it's sold at auction and was offered that way, would be $3,000 to $5,000.
GUEST:
Great, it's good information.
APPRAISER:
So it's a fascinating group.
GUEST:
It is!
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.
