Virginia Sugar Chest, ca. 1820
Watch
APPRAISER:
So you brought in this little chest here. And you told me that it was given to you...it was a gift, actually, from a friend.
GUEST:
Yes, it was a gift from a very elderly friend. She left it to me when she died.
APPRAISER:
And did your friend tell you what it was, what the piece was?
GUEST:
She said it was a very old piece and it was made in Virginia, and that's about all she knew about it.
APPRAISER:
I mean, because you had mentioned earlier that it might have been for wine or something like that.
GUEST:
I thought that's what it was for.
APPRAISER:
Because you have these compartments inside. Well, let me ask you, do you like sugar? Do you use sugar or Sweet'n Low in your coffee?
GUEST:
Neither.
APPRAISER:
Neither? Well, if you lived in the 18th century and you didn't mind sugar, this would be a chest you'd really want to have, because this is actually a Virginia sugar chest.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
Yes. They're very desirable items. And these compartments inside, they're actually to store the cones, the sugar cones. And that sugar was a valuable commodity, and you needed a storage place for it. So it was kept in these sugar chests, made through Virginia and other parts of the South. And this is a very nice example of one. The reason it's locked is that it was valuable. It was really a commodity. And it was to keep prying hands away, that...people who had a sweet tooth, not like yourself, right? You wouldn't have been a problem, because you don't like sugar.
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
I want to tell you that this is made in Virginia, probably around 1820 or so, okay? It has yellow pine secondary wood. We can see this nice chamfering on the bottom. So it's really...this is an absolutely authentic piece. Some other sugar might have been stored in here, but maybe some accouterments to cut sugar. They used these clippers to cut the cones. If we put the drawer back in and just spin around slowly, we can see the back. And this is nicely done, all hand-done. And this is set back from the post, which is a typical Southern or typical Virginia characteristic. Do you know what the primary wood is, the main wood of the piece, Sarah?
GUEST:
I thought it was walnut.
APPRAISER:
That's right, you got it-- it's walnut. It's beautiful wood.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
I think, Sarah, that these legs are quite short, and actually, even though you have this nice color coming up, I think that they've probably been shortened by about an inch to an inch and a half. Do you want to know how much it's worth?
GUEST:
I would love to know.
APPRAISER:
Okay, sugar chests are very desirable. And collectors, especially collectors of Southern furniture, want to have a Virginia sugar chest or a Kentucky sugar chest. This is a nice example, and I'd say that this piece is worth about $4,500.
GUEST:
That's great, that's wonderful.
APPRAISER:
You pretty happy?
GUEST:
Yeah, I think that's wonderful.
APPRAISER:
It's good you didn't sell it.
GUEST:
But I think I'll keep it.
APPRAISER:
You think you’ll keep it?
GUEST:
I think so.
APPRAISER:
Good.
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.
