Odiot Sterling Silver Tea Set, ca. 1850
![](https://www-tc.pbs.org/prod-media/antiques-roadshow/__sized__/Images/Austin_20000603_03/200001A21/Boos_SilverTeaSet2-crop-c0-47__0-43-676x380.jpg)
GUEST:
It was passed down from my great-grandfather, made in Paris with old American silver dollars and then brought back here when they moved back here later on.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, that's one of the things I really find fascinating about this. It is made out of melted American, U.S. silver dollars, and your... The grandfather was a... great-grandfather was a Confederate sympathizer?
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And he fled the country with his money and had the tea set made in Paris.
GUEST:
Right, exactly.
APPRAISER:
And he was looking for support from Napoleon III, as I understand it.
GUEST:
Yes, sir.
APPRAISER:
Well, the set, as you know, comes in this beautiful, fitted antique box, 19th-century, original box, all fitted for the sterling set. And this set was made by a company by the name of Odiot, that's O-D-I-O-T. They are the most famous silversmiths in France. The quality of the set is absolutely superb. The detail, the workmanship, everything about this set. Look at Neptune on the top of the pitcher. It's just beautiful, beautiful quality sterling, by your very finest maker, a huge set, obviously. Well, I think that in a well-advertised auction, an antique tea set like this from France, mid-19th century, this kind of history, you're talking somewhere in the area of $70,000 to $90,000.
GUEST:
Wow. Wow, that's incredible.
APPRAISER:
Thank you very much for bringing it to the ROADSHOW.
GUEST:
My pleasure.
APPRAISER:
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
GUEST:
My pleasure.
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.