This devil will be given his due, thanks to "Antiques Roadshow."
When the venerable PBS appraisal show airs the three hours shot in Pittsburgh beginning Monday, one of the locals who made the cut was Robert, a retired schoolteacher from the Mon Valley.
A collector of vintage holiday decorations, Robert -- "Roadshow" policy carefully guards the full identities of its participants -- picked up the hand-carved 1925 wooden devil at a historical society sale 25 years ago.
He paid $10 for the brightly painted, grinning fellow and had been told it was made by a local factory worker.
"For years, we put it outside the house at Halloween. Put some pumpkins around it, some cornstalks," he said.
When the family's garage was flooded in 2000, the devil endured both hell and high water.
TV Previews
'Antiques Roadshow Comes to Town! Pittsburgh'
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday on WQED.
'Antiques Roadshow'
When: 8 p.m. Monday on WQED.
Nancy Druckman, senior vice president and director of American folk art for Sotheby's in New York, called it "the epitome of American folk art" and appraised the piece at $4,000-$5,000.
"I'll tell you, I was excited," said Robert recently, adding that the devil's days on the porch are over. "I think we'll keep him by the fireplace."
Of the 6,000 people who brought their treasures to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center Aug. 13, about 90 were chosen to be taped, and only a dozen or so will be shown during each broadcast. More appraisals can be viewed online at pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow.
Each hour also features a visit by host Mark L. Wahlberg to examine art glass at the Carnegie, pre-Factory works at The Warhol and iron and steel jewelry at the Carrie Furnace complex in Rankin.
Each of the six cities chosen to host "Antiques Roadshow" events each season has its own flavor, said Marsha Bemko, executive producer. Boston's WGBH, which produces the program, received more than 22,000 requests for tickets for the taping here.
WQED will run a special, "Antiques Roadshow Comes to Town! Pittsburgh," at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
"We really are just one big country, but we tend to keep the best things in our lives. When we move, we take them with us," she said. "That's why you find Boston tables in Hawaii and Hawaiian bowls in Boston."
Perhaps it's because Pittsburghers tend to stay put, or just that we don't like to part with our stuff, that there will be a number of distinctly local items on display.
It doesn't get more Pittsburgh than the man who brought a signed 1960 Louisville Slugger game bat used by Pirates legend Roberto Clemente.
Most Clemente bats used "Roberto" in the signature, but this was a real rarity -- Clemente signed it "Momen Clemente."
"It was kind of a joke," appraiser Mike Gutierrez said he was told by its owner, Frank. He explained that often when the right fielder was asked a question, he would say "momencito," before answering, which might have led to the "Momen" nickname.
With the usual signature, he valued the bat at between $10,000 and $15,000, but with the variation, he placed it at $25,000.
"It's a great appraisal, this person had a great story," Ms. Bemko said. Frank's grandfather was department manager for Allegheny County road maintenance, which put him in position to acquire such a bat from Clemente.
Although everyone loves the "eureka" moment of discovering that bizarre old lamp from the basement is worth thousands, "Antiques Roadshow" also features the occasional dud.
A tribal arts weapon and pipe in the second episode, for example, did not live up to the owner's expectations.
"Some of the most memorable lessons for ourselves and our audiences can be learned through their mistakes," Ms. Bemko said.
Yet, who isn't a sucker for the thrill of the big payoff? It's no surprise that the final item in each of the three shows is of the "You-won't-believe-this" variety.
Although producers have experimented with other orders over the years, they and viewers appreciate a big finish. So when a woman brings out a carved rhinoceros horn cup her husband bought for $1 ...
$350,000-$450,000. You cannot make this stuff up.
A West Virginia man with a set of first-edition Charles Darwin books with a combined insurance value of $284,000 also makes the scene.
Episode 3's big bang is the story of local twin sisters whose grandmother purchased a Rockwell Kent painting from the Carnegie Institute in 1946. A letter from the artist to their grandmother describes what he hoped to achieve in the painting, titled "The Land of Peace." Appraiser Alan Fausel called it "top shelf," and placed its value -- enhanced by the letter -- at $150,000-$200,000.
Last August, one of the twins, Laurie, said, "It will stay in the family. We have no intention of selling it." Her sister, Emily, agreed.
In fact, the minority who choose to sell big-ticket items after "Antiques Roadshow" appraisal must realize appraisal value and what they actually receive might be very different figures.
Ms. Bemko said that when appraisers talk of insurance value, it's the cost the owner would have pay for replacing the item. When they mention fetching a price "at auction," the owner likely will have to pay a 20 percent fee to the auction house.
As for selling outright to a collector, sellers must understand that "fair price" to a dealer might be half of what he can afford to eventually list it for.
"People must think long and hard about this," Ms. Bemko said.
Sprinkled among the $900 carved ivory vases and the rhino horn cups are some really fine items such as a 1920 diamond-and-platinum Tiffany necklace/pendant ($30,000-$40,000), a demantoid-and-diamond pin shaped like a turtle ($12,000-$18,000) and a hand-knotted, ruby-red silk Persian rug ($15,000-$20,000).
An 1880 "peachblow vase" decorated with glass "jewels" was gifted to a member of the family that founded a Pittsburgh lumberyard, and Gary, its current owner, was thrilled to hear it's worth $2,500-$3,500.
The rug, owned by Kathy and Dave from the South Hills, was never used and brought to the convention center as an afterthought.
But Dave said the couple suspected something was up when rug expert Jim Ffrech noticed it as they were standing in line.
"Kathy said, 'He keeps looking at us,' and that it might be something special."
The beauty of "Antiques Roadshow," said Ms. Bemko, is that almost every item has a story, and that, not the monetary value, makes them all special.
"Most of what we see is not worth a lot of money, but it's always precious to the owner."
Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/By: Maria Sciullo: msciullo@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1478
No comments:
Post a Comment