Bartlett Library Foundation fundraiser event a success
On Thursday, Jan. 26, John Leonard of Leonard Auctions in Addison, presented to 30 patrons at the Bartlett Library on the appraisal process, antique market and he also gave appraisals of items that some of the attendees brought with them to the fundraiser.
Entry donation was $5 to get into the event and another $5 to have an item appraised by Leonard. With everything, the Bartlett Public Library District Foundation raised about $300.
Leonard started off the program by explaining that the appraisal process consists of six components: Types of appraisals, identification, characteristics, condition, current market and value.
The different types of appraisals are insurance appraisals and fair market appraisals. Insurance appraisals are the retail replacement costs of items, they must be written and are used by individuals and professionals to protect items against loss or damage. Fair market appraisals are the realistic estimates of the items' current values, can be written or verbal and are used by everyone from auctioneers to the IRS.
There are a few things that factor into identifying the items. These factors are figuring out what the item is, the material or how the item was made, authenticity, age, provenance or where is the item from.
Characteristics are also considered when putting a value on the items. One has to take into account the items' rarity, historical significance, style or fashion, size and subject matter. Along with the characteristics, the condition of the items plays a role in appraising antiques: If the items are damaged, weak, have previous repairs or have replacement parts.
Leonard explained that in the current market the items that are selling well are coins/currency, jewelry, listed artwork, mid-century furniture, military items and firearms. The items that aren't selling well are traditional furniture, glassware and china, collectibles (Hummels, Beanie Babies, collector plates, etc.) or prints and unlisted artwork.
And then finally, one has to look for the value of an item by looking at what similar items have been sold for, what are the current market conditions and where is the item being sold.
Throughout the presentation, Leonard showcased specific items for the patrons to guess what each of them was sold for:
-A ceramic dog vase bought at $75, but later sold for $7,800
-A $1,000 bill sold for $16,100
-A Russian silver cigarette case found in a storage unit sold for $8,625
-A Schwinn Apple Crate Bicycle originally cost $75, but sold for $3,200
-A Galle art glass vase sold for $11,500
-A 1907 St. Gaudenz $20 gold piece, a $20 value, sold for $9,500
-A Eugenio Zampighi Allen canvas sold for $24,150
A total of 27 items were brought in for Leonard to appraise. Below is the list of items and the price that Leonard gave for what each of those items could be sold for:
-A Barbie doll: $20 or under (since it was out of the boxed and used)
-A candy dish: $20-$40
-A Ginny doll: $20-$40
-A transistor radio: $20-$40
-A teapot: $25-$50
-A cross necklace: $40-$50
-A 1940s radio: $40-$60
-A Caribbean artist's painting: $40-$60
-A ruby flash glass pitcher and six tumblers: $50-$60
-A Garnet necklace: $50-$100
-A stone vase with blue, floral painting on it: $50-$100
-A regulator clock: $75-$100
-A wood case clock or a "gingerbread clock" from 1880-1885: $75-$100
-A small vase with a thin neck and wide bottom: $75-$125
-A pocket watch: $100-$150
-A sterling silver charm bracelet: $100-$150
-A post card album: $100-$200
-A Chief Robotman toy: $100-$200
-A pair of carriage lanterns: $150-$250
-A letter associated with Chester Gould: $200-$300
-A small carriage clock: $300-$400
-A Roman dress pin: $300-$500
-A WWII era painting of a plane: $300-$500
-A late 1800 or early 1900 fan: $600-$800
-A $500 bill: $700-$800
Additionally, there were two items that Leonard wasn't certain of what the price range would be, so at the end of the program he referred those who brought in the items to specific appraisers that could help them determine the items' worth.
Proceeds from this event will be donated to the Bartlett Public Library District by the Bartlett Public Library District Foundation, which is a 501(c) tax-exempt organization.
An upcoming Adult Services program at the Bartlett Library is "Project 2-3-1: Two Boxcars, Three Blocks, One City" on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. Two boxcars full of escaped slaves arrived in Elgin in 1862. Most of them settled in three segregated city blocks known as The Settlement. Eventually, they merged with their white neighbors to form one city. Come in to view this documentary with a Q&A afterwards with the producer, Phil Broxham, and narrators, Ernie Broadnax and Jerry Turnquist.
For information and a complete listing of scheduled programs, call (630) 837-2855 or visit www.bartlettlibrary.org.