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by Rosemary Lee Potter
Special to Tropical Breeze
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Antique Bentwood Rocker, probably dating from the 1930s, found in a Knoxville, TN attic
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Seems like every year or so we think:
"Wonder what's up in the attic? Well, for most folks, if they have
an attic or upstairs storage space, much less a basement, the
statement's more like wonder if there's room for me to store some
more stuff! The unique thing is that the way things go, more stuff
is put "up there" and only later, when some heir or appraiser is
involved, does anyone much know the answer to wonder what's up
there?
It's really not unusual for folks to find
their ancestors' things left behind up or down there. If there's
pressure to clear out -- say an impending estate sale -- you can
expect those cleaning out will have a wonderful time exploring and
carting off what may be treasure -- forgotten or unknown.
Let's say you find a dumpy old couch up
there in the attic. You think you remember reclining on it when you
were a kid, but maybe not. Regardless, this round you check under
and between all the pillows before that old sofa is carted off. You
might find nothing. You would not be the first, if you actually
find some pocket change. It's probably going to be at face value.
However, maybe not. Would small change, a penny, a dime even 50
years old matter, that is in value? You'd have to do some
research. That's how you find out if your find is a real find or
not. Maybe it's just a collecting adventure. Maybe it's both.
Take my friend in Tennessee who collects
antique baby bottles. She and her husband were browsing at an
antique show in San Francisco recently. She spotted a bottle on one
table that she just knew was one she'd been hunting for years. She
quietly purchased it for $225, excited by her find AND by her
foreknowledge that the bottle was worth $500!
Well, that wasn't an attic adventure, but
it does remind that you need to do research to find out if the
item/s you discover have special value. So it was that a friend in
Knoxville reported that he'd been working on some old houses. He
and his crew were repairing the interior of one house which, while
empty now, had once belonged for years to an elderly lady.
Eventually, the friend and crew arrived in the attic. He and a
fellow worker noted that the musty old space had three items of
interest in it -- a spool style table, a bentwood rocker without a
seat and several faded prints. In the light of day none of the
items seemed particularly outstanding. Interesting, yes. Valuable,
who knows?
And so some research -- not really hard to
do. Online just type in the most descriptive words you can about
the item. See if there's any comparable online -- maybe selling on
eBay. With that start one can move along toward possible value to
sell, even decide if "it's" worth trying to keep it, restore it,
or sell it.
Now whether the searcher learns that
Bentwood Rockers were first made in Austria in the 19th century,
are made by hand by modern Old Amish people today or that modern
versions are worth several thousand dollars, the attic-find rocker
looks like a good design, despite its need for some repair. Value?
Lots of factors here. Want to rock in it? Repair it. Keep checking
on the origin.
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| Above, a view of the New York Stock Exchange and below, the Boulevard Bridge in Chicago. Both are reproductions of watercolor scenes by artist John Maymson, a commercial illustrator famous for the historical accuracy of his architectural settings. |
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As to the prints, long abandoned in the
attic, it goes to show that you really need to find out about the
artist involved. The scenes seem to be of urban Chicago and New
York -- a while back. Online, we learn that the prints are the work
of American artist, John Haymson (1903-1980), whose name is well
known for his accurate architectural depictions of city scenes.
Although these found aquatint prints are
not in the best condition -- one important factor in every
appraisal, when going online -- type in the artist name, check for
prints for sale on eBay -- AskArt sites, etc. At the very least,
they may be worth hundreds of dollars. Or perhaps the Chicago
bridge scene might just make a good holiday present for my son and
daughter-in-law who live in Chicago and love its many famous
scenes!
Exploring attics is not to be missed --
that is with permission of the attics' owners. Finding things and
perhaps finding fortune? Who knows? For sure, it'll be a great
collecting adventure!
© 2008 Rosemary Lee Potter. All
Rights Reserved.
Rosemary Lee Potter is a confirmed victim
of the collecting bug and can be reached by e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or write to her in care of Tropical Breeze,
P.O. Box 585, Safety Harbor, FL 34695.
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