1891 Oscar Wilde-signed Limited Edition, "The Picture of Dorian Gray"
Watch
GUEST:
Well I got this Oscar Wilde about 25 years ago. I bought it at a used bookstore on Wells Avenue.
APPRAISER:
And what did you pay for it?
GUEST:
I paid $25.
APPRAISER:
Well, what you have is a copy of "The Picture of Dorian Gray." Now, Oscar Wilde's the great Irish writer known primarily as a playwright, but also known through this very important book. Now, with modern literature, especially in this period, books often came out in different editions. They came out in a trade edition, then they would come out in a limited edition. Now, the trade edition of this book, which came out in 1891, same date as this book, it looks much the same as this copy, and it brings roughly $400 to $600 at auction. Now, your copy is one of the very special limited copies. Here's the limitation page, which states that there were 250 copies of this edition published. This copy's number 14, and it is signed by Oscar Wilde. Now, the fact that it is the limited edition makes it a very special issue of the book. I'd like to just point out some of the condition issues. If we look at the back strip of your book you'll see at the bottom you've got this chip here and a few tears at the top.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And for this book that's actually quite normal because the spine was made out of a very thin paper, very fragile. It's actually an acceptable amount of defect because it's often found with the spine lacking. Now, if you were to think about today's market, where Oscar Wilde has become very popular and is widely collected and sold at auction, do you have any guesses to what it might bring?
GUEST:
I'd say maybe $100, maybe $150 at the most.
APPRAISER:
Your $25 investment has gone up quite considerably in this market. Recently copies of this book, the one of 250, have sold at auction for $8,000 to $12,000.
GUEST:
You gotta be kidding me!
APPRAISER:
I'm not.
GUEST:
Ha! That is...
APPRAISER:
It's an amazing return on your investment.
GUEST:
...unbelievable!
APPRAISER:
You have an incredible eye for rare books. Thanks for bringing it in.
GUEST:
You betcha! This is-- what a joy! (laughing) Oh, God! And an old lady of 76 years old has got... Oh, my God!
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.
