'Antiques Roadshow' seller goes almost 'out of breath' after expert reveals the value of her old chair
"Antiques Roadshow" has opened doors for people to make the most out of objects lying around in the attic or basement, but it also helps them recognize the actual price of family heirlooms with sentimental value. A guest was left stunned after the two experts John A Hays and Leslie Keno revealed the value of her grandparents' chair. In the episode, the guest confirmed that the chair had been in her family for generations and many people have tried to buy it from them. She also admitted that a traveling antique dealer had offered $5,000 for the New England Windsor armchair, but she somewhere knew that it was worth way more than that.
Hays then went on to provide some context on the chair, stating that the chair was made in southeastern Rhode Island in Connecticut. He also praised its condition and unique features saying, "The condition is extraordinary. It's an amazing edition, it's only got two coats of paint and then this apple green we see here at the back of the seat." He added, "Just this wonderful, brilliant green that makes collectors' adrenalin levels go up." Then the woman mentioned how she was originally afraid that the chair was later painted by her mother but turned out that the chair retained its original color.
Keno then took a proper look and revealed that beneath the top layer of the paint on the chair was a darker green but it only had two layers. He was enthused about the piece and said, "What's great are the wear patterns and the surface here where it was touched by people and using it and next the proportions are what really, really sing." He then went on to deliver the appraisal saying that the estimated price of the chair is somewhere between "$30,000 to $50,000." The reveal really took the woman by surprise. "Oh, my word. Oh my word," she exclaimed.
The two experts also talked about the height of the chair, "Most chairs are really wide, this is vertical shoots up like a rocket ship, it has got nice height in the feet," the experts said. The woman added that this is why she liked sitting on the chair as a child. After the two revealed the valuation, the woman shook hands with them as the men thanked her for coming to the show with such a unique item.
Ancient artifacts can fetch quite a lot of money when sold in the 21st century. However, in another episode, an expert refused to evaluate an Ivory Disc that had engravings linked to the awful slave trade. The ivory disc inscribed with details of a trade was used for the slave trade. "It's probably one of the most difficult things that I've ever had to talk about, but talk about it we must," he said. He then explained how the item, was a "testament to the callous trade" that occurred in the 19th century. The guest shared that the disc was bought 36 years ago for £3 (~$3.93) from a family that she used to work for. The guest added that at the time, she had no idea what it was. "It said traders and I thought it meant trading in coffee or spices, but I realized it was trading in people," she said. The expert later added that the item was extremely rare and there are only 12 items such as this one that exist today.
