Display Stove & Salesman's Sample Ice Box
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GUEST:
My grandfather was from Temple, Texas, and these were his salesman samples. He would go out in the community or to other little towns and villages and show the people what he had for sale. And I played with these salesman samples all my life.
APPRAISER:
Well, I collect salesman samples myself, and technically, we don't call this type of stove a salesman sample.
GUEST:
Oh, you don't?
APPRAISER:
It's almost more of a child size because it is named the Buck's Junior #4. So, but I think they used these to display what the real big things were like. They didn't have quite the detail of a normal salesman sample. It has nice detail, though. It has nice nickel plating, opening doors, and it's really quite a fine piece. It has a couple of condition problems.
GUEST:
I know.
APPRAISER:
You're missing these little hinges and a little plate. But believe it or not, these can be replaced.
GUEST:
Oh, I'm glad to know that.
APPRAISER:
This I really consider a salesman sample. And this, I've never seen one quite like this. Really? The reason we call it a salesman sample is because it has in absolute miniature the real features of the item that was being sold. Here we have the compartment where the ice was installed. Here we have the shelves. And... Did you ever notice this here?
GUEST:
I never noticed that.
APPRAISER:
Well, this is the drain.
GUEST:
No, I see that now, but I have never had it...
APPRAISER:
To drain off the ice water.
GUEST:
I know! I should have known that.
APPRAISER:
Well, you have two gems here. The stove, even though I don't consider it a salesman sample, is worth about $2,500, even in this condition, missing a piece.
GUEST:
Gosh, I'm going to get this piece, then.
APPRAISER:
Well, that's easily done. But now this is another kettle of fish.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
Yes. If I owned this piece, I wouldn't sell it for a penny less than $5,000.
GUEST:
I am stunned-- I'm stunned. And I've just been letting our grandchildren-- we have seven grandchildren-- I've been letting them play with it.
APPRAISER:
If they play with it carefully, that's okay. But they better be real careful with this one.
GUEST:
All right.
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.
