Czech Fruit Lamp
Watch
GUEST:
It's a lamp that's been in the family, on my mother's side of the family, for many, many years. I really don't know where it came from, and I'd like to find out something about it.
APPRAISER:
All right, well, let's take a look at it a little bit closer. You can see that all these little fruits and berries and leaves are all made of glass, and all different colors. And the whole thing is arranged in a vase. And look at this, if the top doesn't lift right off... So we can look at the top of it. We've got some great color in this, and the color is the clue to who made it.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
Because the Czechoslovakian glass companies, there were factories in virtually every town in Bohemia and what we call Czechoslovakia. And their claim to fame, more than anything, is the color that they used in glass.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
So you can see we've got reds and ambers and several shades of green. And they arranged it in such a manner that each one of these is free blown and partly molded, and then attached to a little framework that's made of metal, and then beaded to give it a little extra added dimension in case it shows through when the piece is lighted. And then the glass itself is made to look like a basket. No marking on the bottom. A little indentation for the wire to come out through. So the Czechoslovakian glass that was made during this period, and I'd say we're talking about probably 1920s, this glass has become very, very collectible and popular in the last few years so that now, I think $1,000 is not really too much to expect for a piece like this.
GUEST:
Oh, my goodness.
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.
