Folk Art Rocker, ca. 1890
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GUEST:
Well, it was made for my great-great-grandmother back in the late-1900s by a man from West Union, Ohio, and it's been in our family ever since.
APPRAISER:
Well, what I like about this piece is that it has a personality. It's way beyond a piece of furniture. It really goes into folk art, right? It's really a creation. Someone made this to impress and to show off their skills, to show that they could do inlay. And these acorns, in England, they symbolize strength. And I love all of these turned elements, these vase-and-block turned elements. I saw these scratches here. How did those happen?
GUEST:
My grandkids.
APPRAISER:
When they were like three or four?
GUEST:
They're now about five and six years old, yeah.
APPRAISER:
Okay, and they did it. It's not... I don't think it really hurts the value. My three-year-old would do something like that, I'll tell you. He just made a couple little lines in here. But when we come down to these scroll handholds-- and we can see this one over here, this reminds me-- doesn't it remind you of a violin? I wonder if the man who made this also made some musical instruments. And I really like this inlay, these circular motifs all the way down the leg. So all these elements add up to making a piece that is, really, a folk object. My favorite thing about this rocker are these horses. And is this your favorite also?
GUEST:
Yes, it is.
APPRAISER:
The detail of this pair of horses flanked by these inlaid leaves, that really is the center of the piece. It gives it the real thrust as folk art. The last thing I want to mention is the finish of this thing really helps it, because of all the wear from your three-year-olds and from you using it, you see how it's rubbed it? But it's left the dirt in the dark areas also. So it really has that contrast of dark to light, which is what's nice about having an old finish on a piece. So, do you have an idea of what it's worth? You haven't had it appraised?
GUEST:
No, no we never have.
APPRAISER:
You said an auctioneer once said you could do really well with it.
GUEST:
Name my price, yeah, but we didn't.
APPRAISER:
And that's why you brought it, you're curious about that?
GUEST:
Yeah, we didn't know if you knew who made it or not, the man.
APPRAISER:
We can't identify the artist. It's a folk artist working in a folk tradition, and there are a lot of collectors out there that love pieces like this, and its value in the marketplace... In my shop, in my gallery, I would probably put upwards of about $18,000 on it.
GUEST:
Whoo!
APPRAISER:
Maybe even $20,000. So in that range, $18,000 to $20,000. You're still going to rock in it, right?
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
You're going to rock... And it's darn comfortable, too, I'll tell you. Can I sit in it?
GUEST:
Sure, you can.
APPRAISER:
Do you want to sit with me? Can you? Do you mind?
GUEST:
Sure, why not?
APPRAISER:
Let's just sit. There, that's nice. I like that.
GUEST:
Yeah, it's nice.
APPRAISER:
Thanks for being here. That’s nice, this isn't bad.
GUEST:
Yeah, it is.
APPRAISER:
It's comfortable, yeah. Now, your husband's not going to be upset, right?
GUEST:
No, he'll be thrilled.
APPRAISER:
Okay, all right, all right. I like this.
GUEST:
Yes, it's nice.
APPRAISER:
Are you surprised at the price?
GUEST:
Yes, I am.
APPRAISER:
You didn't have any idea?
GUEST:
No, no.
Appraisal Details
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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."
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