the Antique roadshow is coming! The Antique Road show is co

I used to be SO addicted to that show...

Now I watch it only very occasionally.

I've thought about that, what I'd bring. Probably a small, beautifully glazed bowl that I bought at an estate sale in Pasadena and screams "Arts and Crafts" though I haven't been able to track down any info on it. When I was heavily into Antiques Roadshow, Arts & Crafts pottery was going for astronomical sums, that's probably died down quite a bit by now.

And you?

The last time this show was in Chicago, I sent in a postcard for tickets. Postcards were put in a drawing because there were far too many requests. My postcard was not picked.

The only antique I own is an eighteenth century copper plate engraving of an illustration that appears to have been part of a science textbook. The paper is obviously handmade (you can see the chain lines from the wire mold). The illustration was also colored by hand.

ooohhh Wande that sounds nice. I also love ceramics.
I'm thinking of taking an Audobon we got for a wedding present from my hub's Uncle. He was a lawyer in B more in the early/mid 1900s and he was given this elephant folio (?) of canvasback ducks over Baltimore as payment from a client.

I also have a repousse whisk broom. can you imagine?

I'm sure it's all worth millions.

I plan to be the one person EVER who says "sell it!"

plantress and sozobe,

There may be organizations in your area that can help you identify your antiques.

My illustration involved the subject of astronomy. I mailed a copy of the illustration to the History of Astronomy Department at the Chicago Planetarium. Here is an excerpt from the reply they sent me:

Alexandre Benois
I would bring my 1918 Alexandre Benois watercolor with his written Christmas greeting, and the book about his life and achievements.

http://hometown.aol.com/butrflynet/Bumblebee3.html

Who is artist Alexandre Benois:

Biography:

Benois was an occasional student at the Academy of Arts, St Petersburg (1887-1888). He has studied at the Law Faculty of the University of St Petersburg (1890-1904). Was one of organizers of the World of Art group. From 1891 he participated in exhibitions including Society of Russian Watercolorists, World of Art (SRKh). Frequently traveled in France, Germany and Italy (1890-1910).

The artist has produced a series of landscapes of Versailles, views of St Petersburg and its environs. He illustrated Pushkin's Queen of Spades and The Bronze Horseman. Was the editor of journal Mir Iskusstva (World of Art) (1901-1903). His work was also exhibited as part of the art group bearing the same name.

Benois designed ballet, opera and theatre productions in St Petersburg , Moscow (1901-1903), and for Dyagilev's private company.

He was curator of Hermitage Museum and member of Commission for Preservation of Antiquities and Monuments of Art (1918-1922. Author of numerous works on art history and critic articles.

From 1926 the artist lived in Paris, and worked for Comedie Francaise, Paris, and La Scala, Milan.

He held several exhibitions abroad including Paris (1926, 1929, 1940, 1953), London (1936, 1938, 1953, 1960), Milan (1988).

Some Benois paintings:

http://www.russianavantgard.com/master_03_artists_world_of_art/alexandre_benois.html

My favorite Benois painting - Chinese Pavillion, Jealous Man:

http://www.russianavantgard.com/Artists/benois/benois_china_pavillon.html

I'd bring a container I've never seen the likes of. Japanese (I think - Chinese?) porcelain fattish fancy 'vase' shape with a fancy lid. My mother told me it was a hundred and fifty years old (do I remember that right? even if she said a hundred it's still an oldie, but I remember the 150 part) back around the mid fifties. I've no idea how to find out its value.

wow bumble you know your stuff-you don't need no stinkin badges!
osso you definately might have a hit.
I hope they choose me.

soz sez Its even hotter now. The world record for a piece is a Rookwood VAAHZZ decorated by Shiryamadani. It went for just South of 1/2 million dollars >FOR A FRIGGIN VAAHZZ! Newcomb routinely sells close to 100 K and the lower tier like Roseville or Fulper can go for 10K or more.

Id bring a really old blanket/dower chest . I sent in my name to the Roadshow when they came to Philly last year but didnt get selected.

Past the Roadshow, which I also used to be addicted to before I left LA, feeling self sucked into the tv, I wonder how to check stuff out.

Lightwizard has told us many times about getting appraisals for an item, a serious one by a reputable appraiser being, if I remember correctly, something like three or four hundred dollars. Can/will appraisers look at more than one item?

I'm pretty curious as I'm moving into a divestment phase and don't want to be a fool on ebay.

I went to the Antiques Roadshow when it came to Austin.
Really lucky to get tickets.

Oh, it was a LOT of fun. You end up talking to so many people, and learn such interesting things.

The way they did it, at least then, was to first put you in a general line, that snaked back and forth and back and forth....That's when you got to talk to everyone.

Wow, what's that?
Hey! My grandfather talked about those!
etc.

What did I bring?

A porcelain coffee pot that had belonged to my Grandma. Wasn't worth anything, but it was cool learning when and where it was made.

I hope you get a ticket.

Osso, One of the best ways to assure yourself of what somethings worth is to call a reputable auction house and consider consigning your items.
If your items are of significant worth, they will feature them is a specialty auction and will advertize the auction and they notify their best customers of the items they are carrying. Usually the commissions start high for lower end stuff and then they go down to about 20% for really fine items.

A new trend is to only charge "buyers premiums" rather than charge the consignor . A few auction houses around here are doing it. I dont know who youve got out in Alba querque or Santa Fe, Id ask for reccomendations from the Antiques trade.

I never consign things to an antiques shop, theyve been known to "pool" ( they try to get an item dirt cheap via a team of dealers who then sell your item elsewhere on a more significant markeup). There are many good dealers and similarly many bad dealers and its hard to know. Pooling (in Pa at least ) is illegal, but difficult to prove because its almost like money laundering.. So, I like to deal with good auction houses and I sign a contract that includes words that state that recognize pooling there too. The really great auction houses dont dare to have their reputations damaged by cheap tricks.

Thanks, Farmer!