19th-Century Women's Accessories
GUEST:
I collected them because I have such respect for them. They were always such humble items. But some woman worked hours, maybe days, on every single item, because they're all, for the most part, handwoven and even handspun.
APPRAISER:
When did you start collecting?
GUEST:
Oh, I've collected for probably 30 years.
APPRAISER:
Is there a first item here that you collected, or a special item?
GUEST:
Yeah, I guess the pockets-- I love the pockets.
APPRAISER:
Why don't we hold them up?
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
What's the little rhyme that you know?
GUEST:
Oh, "Lucy Locket lost her pocket."
APPRAISER:
Do you know how she lost her pocket?
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
Because they were tied around her waist. And so these pockets, you know, if your string came undone, your pockets fell off. And all kinds of things were carried in a pocket. I mean, it was a lady's handbag of the 18th and 19th century. And a dress had slit on the side, and you had to put your pocket, your hands into your dress, and you could pull things out. And we know from newspaper records that when women lost things, they would say, "Lost in my pocket." And you would find things like, oh, a pocket watch, and your clips, and your jewelry, and your notecards.
GUEST:
Okay, okay.
APPRAISER:
And all kinds of things. And they're made of very humble cloth, so it's probably not a very wealthy woman.
GUEST:
Right, right.
APPRAISER:
What else do you love that's here?
GUEST:
I love the apron. The apron is a real treasure.
APPRAISER:
You can see here that it opens up down the back. And do you know how to date this apron?
GUEST:
No, I don't, really. I think it's pretty early, but I don't know how to date it.
APPRAISER:
It is early. It's got this very thin seam right here, indicating that there's a very short bodice in the back. And I would date this to about 1805.
GUEST:
I never noticed that, okay.
APPRAISER:
What'd you pay for this?
GUEST:
I paid $700 for that apron. My husband bought it for me.
APPRAISER:
Well, I think he did a good thing. I can't tell you how rare this is. Sometimes the simplest things are the rarest things, and they don't survive. I would value the apron at about $1,500.
GUEST:
Oh, well, that's a good thing.
APPRAISER:
And the pockets at about $1,000.
GUEST:
That's wonderful.
APPRAISER:
And I would value... This purse here?
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
Which is dated 1812, at about $1,500.
GUEST:
Oh, that's wonderful.
APPRAISER:
So if I begin to think about the value of your collection, it's worth quite a lot of money, you know? $6,000 to $8,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my goodness-- well, thank you very much.
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.
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