Navajo Woman's Wearing Blanket, ca. 1875
GUEST:
My mother, when she was about 13, went with her family out to Colorado. And I believe that's when they purchased it.
APPRAISER:
Uh-huh.
GUEST:
So, that's all I can tell you about it.
APPRAISER:
So, have you ever looked into what it is, or who made it, or... I assume you know it's Navajo.
GUEST:
Well, I don't even know that.
APPRAISER:
You don't even know that? Okay.
GUEST:
I just... that's the reason I'm here. I don't know anything about it. It's always been around, and I thought this would be a great time to find out what the deal is.
APPRAISER:
Okay. Well, it's quite a nice Navajo weaving, from about the 1870s. There are several things I like about it. One is that it's a woman's wearing blanket. Much more rare than a men's wearing blanket. The way you can tell the women's blankets is the stripes, the smaller stripes cutting through the diamonds. It's got beautiful indigo color in it. It's got beautiful red bayeta. And it's a great piece to hang up on the wall. I understand there was some cleaning done at one time.
GUEST:
About seven years ago there was some smoke damage, and so it was cleaned. Um, but that... you know, that's basically it.
APPRAISER:
Do you know how they cleaned it?
GUEST:
I have no idea.
APPRAISER:
The nap up here has a fuzzy quality. There are actually... there are several places, but particularly up here. Probably by cleaning, and I suspect they scrubbed it a little too hard. And I don't know... from my knowledge I'm not sure if that can be restored or not. It's still exceptional weaving, and it's a great classic, done in a Third Phase chief's pattern. But whether or not that can be restored, I think remains to be seen. Do you have any idea what it's worth?
GUEST:
I have absolutely no idea. Now you've really perked my interest. So, I don't know.
APPRAISER:
Well, I'm going to kind of go under the assumption that something can be done with that fuzziness. But, even if it can't, I feel very strongly that, conservatively, it's a $15,000 to $20,000 weaving.
GUEST:
You're kidding me.
APPRAISER:
No, I'm not kidding.
GUEST:
(laughs) Holy mackerel. $15,000 to $20,000?
APPRAISER:
$15,000 to $20,000.
GUEST:
(laughing) Thanks, Doug!
APPRAISER:
You're welcome.
GUEST:
What can I say?
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.