Marx Lithograph Tin Toy Rooms
Watch
GUEST:
Well, I bought them from a dear friend, an antique dealer who lived in Kannapolis, which is just down the road from where I live. And he was the best thing because he would teach while he was trying to sell you something. And he came across these and he called me up and said, "I think I've got something you might like." So I went over and I got one of each kind that he had.
APPRAISER:
How many did he have altogether?
GUEST:
About 40.
APPRAISER:
About 40?
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And you bought eight, plus the one without the box.
GUEST:
I didn't buy it, it was free.
APPRAISER:
Oh, it was free, threw that one in, okay. And what did you pay for them?
GUEST:
Three dollars each.
APPRAISER:
Three dollars each. Oh, okay. Well, these are made by Louis Marx, and of course they were one of the great tin toy makers of the '20s, '30s, '40s and into the '50s. And they were famous for their beautifully lithographed tin. And Marx was great for decorating the boxes so that the kid or the parent would see it and just like the box. And that would be a major advertisement for the piece. This was just a lovely little set that came out in the '20s and well into the '30s. Basically two sets here, you have the newlywed rooms-- the kitchen, the library, and over there, the dining room. And then they had another series that were these little Main Street stores. And I think there might have been about ten in each series. But they're really charming. When I first got in the business, they weren't thought too highly of because they were sort of... they didn't wind up or anything like that. They recycled some of the parts from their other toys in these things. And it's really quite a treasure. And it's the first time we've ever seen these on the Roadshow.
GUEST:
Oh, good.
APPRAISER:
I'm really glad you brought them to share. I guess, you know, as far as the value, you say you paid three dollars apiece, that's eight, that's... $24?
GUEST:
$24.
APPRAISER:
Well, I think you did well. You did make one mistake, though.
GUEST:
What'd I do?
APPRAISER:
You should have bought every single one.
GUEST:
Oh, I know.
APPRAISER:
But that's all right. Because I would say this whole group here is worth easily $2,400.
GUEST:
Wow. Really?
APPRAISER:
Yes. So call him up, see if he has any left.
GUEST (chuckling): Thank you.
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.
