Appraising all that glitters

bonhams052: Appraising all that glitters

Bonhams & Butterfields' Andrew Jones has the full attention of Larry and Clara Gilbert describing how their Persian urn could be worth $900 at auction.

Tom Moore is glad he bought a $15 rocking chair a few years ago because today it is worth $3,000-$5,000.

Clara and Larry Gilbert are sorry they cleaned two brass, Persian urns, costing them a chance to earn $3,600.

Those were two of the real life stories of fame and fortune uncovered on Jan. 6 at Bakersfield's Kern County Museum, when hundreds showed up to have their collectibles valued by Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers & Appraisers. The world famous company has been shaping fortunes and breaking hearts since 1793. Traveling from Los Angeles, Bonhams & Butterfields' expert appraisers set up shop in the museum's main gallery where they greeted and gabbed with a pilgrimage bearing prized possessions perceived to be precious.

"This morning someone brought in a genuine Rembrandt etching that I believe may be worth as much as $6,000-$8,000," said Director of Works on Paper Morisa Rosenberg. "We have taken it on consignment and will evaluate it further when we get back to Los Angeles. But of all the collectibles we see at shows such as these around the country, maybe two percent are really of significant monetary value."

Depending on what you brought to the museum, there was a table and an expert to evaluate it. In addition to etchings, there was a table for jewelry, another for paintings, one for furniture and decorative arts and even a books and manuscripts table where a truly rare item surfaced.

"A gentleman brought in a Civil War diary kept by a Union soldier while being held captive in a Confederate prison in 1864," said Director of Books and Manuscripts Catherine Williamson. "That will bring a lot of money at auction because it is rare — the only one in existence — it is genuine — people don't forge diaries — and because the content is interesting and not boring."

Tucked away in a little recess in the gallery, Bonhams' Senior Jewelry Specialist Michael Larsen made the possessor of a 1940 Swiss padlock design Movado wristwatch happy, appraising it between $700-$900. Then, a lady named Amy came to the table loaded with silver buttons, buckles and bracelets.

"These are all from my grandmother's collection," she proudly told Larsen.

After studying a piece or two with his jeweler's lense, Larsen broke the bad news to her.

"Unfortunately, Amy, these are all mass produced, and I am afraid they are not going to be worth an awful lot."

Jubilation came from down the hall where Director of Furniture and Decorative Arts Andrew Jones asked Thomas and Karen Moore if he could cut a little fabric loose on the bottom of a plain-looking rocker Thomas had purchased years ago for $15. The couple are glad they said, "Yes." Turns out the rocker was an authentic Shaker worth $3,000-$5,000.

"It has no sentimental value, and to stay in our house I would want to strip, stain and recover it," Thomas said. "Then it would be worth even less."

"Why do that when we can sell it and buy all new furniture for our living room," laughed Karen.

Earlier, Jones had given the previously-mentioned Gilbert's the good news, bad news about the Persian urns they had cleaned. Uncleaned they could have fetched about $3,600 at auction. But the Gilberts were still beaming to learn the pair of brass urns had a combined valued of $1,800.

"Yes, if we hadn't cleaned them, the urns would have been worth twice the value," Clara said. "But when we first got them they were so dirty I thought they might have a disease."

There was another winner. Money raised from admission and appraisal costs will benefit the nonprofit Kern County Museum.


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