From The Real John Hancock To Felix The Cat–––

Highs And Lows Of Antiques Appraisal Day

By Dottie Evans

Nearly 80 people came out Sunday afternoon to the Newtown Historical Society’s annual Antiques Appraisals Day at the Newtown Meeting House, hoping to find treasures amid trash from grandmother’s attic.

They came loaded down with newspaper-wrapped dishes and Art Deco prints bundled in towels. Antique clocks were cradled like babes in arms.

Patrons of the event might have brought a family heirloom or a recent garage sale bargain. Either way, they wanted to hear the opinions of the expert appraisers, and they were curious as to whether any value beyond the sentimental might be assigned.

The four-person panel of experts included Tucker Frey, owner of Tucker Frey Antiques in Woodbury, Wayne Mattox, also of Woodbury and the owner of an auction gallery and appraisal service, Steve Stieglitz of Manhattan and Newtown, who is an experienced jewelry evaluator, and Jack DeStories of Newtown, co-owner of Fairfield Auction Gallery.

A public address system had been set up so everyone could hear the appraisers’ deliberations as they sat in the Newtown Meeting House benches, waiting for their numbers to be called. Patrons paid $5 for each item to be verbally appraised and they were allowed to bring three items to the front at a time, and to come back as many times as desired.

All proceeds were to benefit the Newtown Historical Society’s projects and programs.

Valuable, Unusual Or Otherwise

Jack DeStories was back for his second year at the Newtown Historical Society fundraiser. He said Monday, the day after the event, that “several really good things” came in the door.

“Probably the most memorable was a hand-painted, decorated tall chest made in Connecticut. [The owner] brought in one drawer and a picture of the chest, and I could see it was pretty early. We valued it at from $15,000 to $20,000.”

Another “find,” Mr DeStories said, was a Pairpoint fine art glass lamp from the early 20th Century, similar to a Tiffany lamp, made in New England. The woman who owned it had brought only a picture, but one look was enough to know it was special.

“She didn’t know what it was. I knew within two seconds by the very distinctive, puffy sort of blown-out glass. We told her it was worth $10,000 to $15,000 and to please put it in a safe place out of the way of the kids,” Mr DeStories said.

“I know; I’ve got two children ages 8 and 11, and you’ve got to lay down the law. Make sure they don’t run around [where that lamp is]. No more sling shots in the family room, that sort of thing,” Mr DeStories added.

Other remarkable items were an 18th Century Bristol Glass mug still in its box, virtually unused and showing no wear, and an 1890s gingerbread mahogany shelf clock.

“That clock was interesting. He’d had it in his family and he was from West Virginia, but it was made in Bristol, Conn. That’s a nice coincidence,” said Mr DeStories.

Linda Pickering of Newtown brought in family heirlooms, including a full set of antique silver flat wear and a very well preserved black-and-white ribbon rosette from President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral cortege. The appraisers placed a value on the ribbon at about $1,000.

One woman brought in a small glass candy dish “to hold stuff” from the early 20th Century, but it was not considered valuable and might get only $35 to $50.

It is all very well to own a beautifully carved, 125-year-old ivory figure of an ancient Chinese philosopher to put on your living room mantel.

“But don’t try to sell it or you might get arrested,” said Wayne Mattox, who peppered his commentary with wry observations. Besides owning a shop in Woodbury, Mr Mattox writes a syndicated column titled, “Antiques Talk.”

“Too many elephants died to make that thing,” he said of the ivory figure, so laws have been passed against their sale, and this depresses the price considerably.

“In a legal market, you might get $1,200,” Mr De Stories ventured.

The owner of the figure said he had just purchased it a week ago for $400; he did not say where.

Straight From My Godmother’s Attic

When it comes to having access to what dealers might call “the really great old stuff,” some people are just plain lucky.

Meg Pearson of Newtown, for example, has a godmother living in West Virginia who is 80 and unmarried. She lets Ms Pearson rummage in the attic anytime she visits, which Ms Pearson says is pure heaven.

So on Sunday afternoon, Ms Pearson showed up with just “a few treasures from my godmother’s attic” and displayed them to the appraisers who, in general, found the objects quite remarkable.

They included a brightly colored crazy quilt worth $400 to $600, an early Fischer-Price 1922 Felix the Cat Action figure worth $50 to $100, and a brand-new, never-been-used fishing lure still in its original box that was “probably worth $500,” Mr DeStories said.

He explained that fishing lures, fishing tackle and, generally, all sorts of fishing items were currently very popular.

“Reels lures, creels, quality things from the early part of the century, you want to look for these things. This is probably a Heddon lure, and it’s a nice one in mint condition.”

“It’s smart to collect the good stuff. Then it’s smart to hold onto it,” Mr DeStories commented.

Robert Heyse of Fairfield was visibly thrilled to show off a small, very heavy iron mounted cannon that he said “actually shoots blanks.”

“When I was a kid a neighbor died and they asked us to go in and help clean out the house. They said we could have anything we found and I found this cannon. I’ve had it ever since,” Mr Heyse said.

“They start boat races with those things. They can make a big boom,” said a man waiting in line behind him.

The greatest understatement of the afternoon came when a patron from the back came forward and presented the experts with a framed document bearing the familiar and flourishing signature of the actual John Hancock.

“This is nice!” exclaimed Mr Mattox.

“That’s the real John Hancock, probably about 1770,” he said.

The signature’s owner had paid $1,500 for it and would probably get around $3,000 in today’s market, Mr Mattox noted.

Gems Of Wisdom Or How To Tell A Fake

While they were examining the more than 200 items brought to their attention, the antiques experts gave a running commentary for the benefit of onlookers about the general care of antiques and ways to know the difference between what is truly old and what has been cleverly made to look old, but is not.

In framing, Mr DeStories said, “you can be sure that if it was framed more than 15 or 20 years ago, acid free materials might not have been used.”

“Cardboard [backing] is the worst because it leaches. There are lots of nasty acids that come from the corrugated grooves, and if a piece is exposed to light, the lines from those grooves come right through to the front” of the picture or document, he warned.

Even the old wooden backs behind some portraits and oil paintings might show a dark line down the middle of the front image.

“If you look in back, that’s always where the seam is. Tannic acid in wood leaches to the edges. And it only takes 10 to 20 years to ruin a valuable painting with a bad frame,” Mr DeStories said.

He advised owners to “do it yourself.”

“Go down to the art supply store, buy acid free board. Cut it to size. Save the old materials, but just don’t put them next to the valuable piece.”

Even if an item is 80 to 100 years old, it could have been made as a reproduction of an original and not be the real thing.

“Such items are old,” Mr Mattox said, “but they are not what they were purported to be. Maybe it has been in your mom’s house since you were little. It seems old to you, but when you are talking about the object itself, we have to distinguish what is genuine and what is a copy no matter when it was made.”

One example was a very credible framed copy of a 900-year-old Chinese silkscreen print by Emperor Hui Tsing, where the printmakers had taken real pains to make it look old and authentic. As a decorative piece, it was probably worth from $150 to $200. But the priceless original was hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as could be seen in an art book that the print’s owner had brought along to show the appraisers.

“See, there is even a bit of simulated oxidation around the white edges,” Tucker Frey said.

Another man came forward lugging a huge, ornate, and very important-looking tarnished brass vase that looked at least two feet tall.

Mr Mattox looked inside the vase and at the bottom and quickly judged that it was “not a great quality object.”

“It’s been made to look important and exotic, but you can see the workmanship is not highly skilled. A very utilitarian welding job. Even if it came with papers, they don’t prove anything.”

Another disappointing assessment was handed down to the owner of a vintage Singer Sewing Machine in a sturdy wooden case.

“I can’t tell you how many of those I’ve seen,” said Wayne Mattox.

“Usually the 16-year-old daughters of families who have these things stored in their attics are hoping to have their way paid through Cornell. I’m afraid to say it’s only worth about $125.”

The dealers cautioned against collecting silver-plate because it is usually not valuable.

“Unless it’s an ornate napkin ring,” Mr DeStories interjected, because those are being collected.

He was quite taken with a “sponge ware” porcelain bowl that was a “nice example of early 20th Century porcelain.”

“I call it a Martha Stewart antique. It’s something that someone could place in a corner cupboard for a nice decorative effect. It’s worth about $200.”

Toward the end of the afternoon, two matched ceramic vases showing a bisque girl and boy talking on the telephone to each other drew admiring glances from all the experts, especially Mr Mattox.

“Those were made in Germany about 1900 to 1910. I call them early telephone era. As mantle garnishings you might get $700. If you sold them to the phone company, you might get more.”