A LAMP bought at a yard sale has been valued for tens of thousands more than its owner could’ve ever imagined it’d be worth.
They brought the item to Antiques Roadshow appraiser Arlie Sulka for a second look and discovered its rich history.
A lamp bought at a yard sale for $25 was made by a famous company[/caption]
The affiliation and some other details made it extremely valuable for the owner (right)[/caption]
“It was $25, I didn’t even argue I just bought it,” the owner told Sulka during an episode of the acclaimed series.
She continued to explain to the appraiser that the woman running the yard sale claimed the lamp was “inexpensive” because it came without the shade.
Still, the owner suspected there was something to it, given that the electric cord used to power it looked like it was from around the 1930s, and the fluorine glass included in its design looked similar to items crafted by Tiffany & Co.
“So, I was hoping it was a Tiffany or a Handel, but I couldn’t find any marks on it,” she told Sulka.
Sulka was allowed by the owner to take the lamp apart before it was featured on Antiques Roadshow, as she also suspected that it might be a Tiffany design, given the fluorine glass.
“Low and behold, yes, it is a Tiffany,” the appraiser confirmed.
Not only was it a Tiffany, but it was what’s known as an “arrowhead” with a mosaic and bronze base along with yellow and pink-tinted glass.
“This was a very early piece — it was originally intended to be used as an oil lamp,” Sulka detailed.
ADDED PARTS
The appraiser added that the base was later added on by someone around the 1930s with a unique socket where the shade should’ve been.
While it was a “strange” addition that hurt the value of the lamp a tiny bit, the owner still made a considerable return on their $25 investment.
“Despite all that, I would put a value on this of $50,000,” Sulka told the owner, who nearly fell to the floor in disbelief.
“Oh my God, you’re kidding!” she exclaimed.
“You’re a good shopper,” Sulka replied.
The $50,000 value placed on the piece was also made in 2009, making its worth in 2024 more than double.
Antiques Roadshow best finds
Antiques Roadshow has helped people put a price on their treasures since 1979. Here are some of the most interesting finds
- A hand-me-down ring that had been in the family for generations was valued at $595,000
- A silver coin found on a farm is worth $30,000
- A Rolex that cost just $120 is now worth $45,000
- The portrait of a woman’s mother at four years old and its frame was worth $32,000
- A book of hymns that was kept in a basement was worth $50,000
- A rare sculpture bought at a flea market in 1961 was worth $100,000
- An antique floor lamp from an estate sale was worth $15,000
- A mobile from the 1940s was worth a whopping $2 million
- A tablecloth drawn on by a baseball legend was worth $1,500
- A Picasso plate that hung above an oven was worth $15,000
Today, it’d go at auction for around $125,000, according to Antiques Roadshow.
LUCRATIVE LAMPS
Other uniquely designed lamps have also been valued for thousands by appraisers with the show for different reasons.
The owner of a bronze mosque-shaped lamp passed down to them by their grandparents was informed it came from the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933.
That, paired with its size and being part of a “strong market,” made it worth around $10,000.
Similarly, a lamp made from the wooden propeller of an old World War I aircraft was exceedingly valuable after the owner bought it with their dad for $50 at a thrift shop.
Appraiser Matthew Quinn said he’d never seen anything like it and gave it a “conservative” estimate of $3,000 at auction.
