Gustave Baumann Woodcut, ca. 1940
Watch
GUEST:
It's a Gustave Baumann print. It's titled Winter Corral. We bought it in Santa Fe in June of 1970 and I still have the original bill of sale, which was $95.
APPRAISER:
Do you know anything about the artist?
GUEST:
No, my wife was familiar with him. That's the reason we bought it, at her insistence. And she heard that he was a fairly good woodblock artist, and so she said buy it, and we did.
APPRAISER:
Well, he was born in Germany and his family moved to Chicago in the early 1900s. And as the story goes, as a teenager, he was in a bar, in Chicago, and met a friend there. And he was talking to this fellow and he said, "I just got back from New Mexico and you really should go there, it's a wonderful place." So, two years later, in 1918, Baumann ends up in Santa Fe. And he becomes one of the central figures in the Santa Fe artist colony. His prints are just beautifully colorful. It's what his work is known for. He lived until 1971 in Santa Fe, and created hundreds of color woodcuts. Now, you said you've had it for about 30 years.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Did you ever have it evaluated in that time?
GUEST:
No. No, we did not.
APPRAISER:
And you bought it at a gallery in Santa Fe, right?
GUEST:
Yes. In three easy payments-- $35, $30, and $30 on monthly payment.
APPRAISER:
Well, I should tell you, the color woodcut market right now for color woodcuts made in the first half of the 20th century is incredibly strong. And Baumann, being such a well-known artist, his prices are phenomenally strong right now. So, the value of this piece has increased quite dramatically. Would you hazard a guess as to what this is worth today?
GUEST:
No, no, I'm not good at guessing. If my wife were here she might, but not me.
APPRAISER:
Well, first of all, it's in beautiful condition. You've kept this very well. Color woodcuts have a tendency to fade if they're exposed to light over time. And this obviously hasn't. The colors are still as bright as they should be. Doesn't look to me like there are any condition flaws. At auction today, conservatively, I would expect this to sell for around $10,000. So, you've done quite well with it over 30 years.
GUEST:
Thank heaven to have a smart wife.
APPRAISER:
And it's wonderful to have something always of local interest on the show.
GUEST:
Oh, for heaven's sake. Well, thank you very much.
APPRAISER:
Thank you for bringing it.
GUEST:
Thank you, Todd, thank you.
APPRAISER:
You're welcome.
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.
