I submitted four different
pieces and they selected the Grasshopper chair. I think it's interesting that the piece I thought they might want to see (a 1930's manicure table in black lacquer and unusual curved, flat band chrome that came from the beauty shop in one of our best downtown hotels, the Curtis Hotel) might've been the piece they should've selected, but they chose the Saarinen chair and ottoman.
The whole Art Deco chrome furniture craze of the 1970's has completely disappeared and no one pays much attention to Howell, Lloyd and Troy-Sunshade pieces anymore. I never see them for sale in the shops, either. This manicure table (with its original lamp) would've been interesting to have been selected because 1) I have no idea of its value, and 2) Antiques Roadshow has never discussed American chrome furniture.
Why you submitted it and why they chose it
are niether here nor there. If you should get a spot, it's important that you be completely honest in answering their questions about your knowledge of the piece, how and when you acquired it, how much you paid, etc.
I look forward to seeing it. Bon chance!
Pretend you are in court
barrympls,
Congratulations on the selection of your piece for The Antiques Roadshow. It hope it all goes well.
I always pretend I am in court when answering questions. "Never reply to a statement, never volunteer any information not specifically requested and always be honest using as few words as possible".
If I get on TV
I intend to be honest, but I don't know if they will allow me to mention eBay!
I paid around 350.00 bucks for it (I think) back about 5 years ago, and when it arrived, I notice that it was creaky and one side was not as 'right' as the other. The fellow I used to reupholster it (it had a drab off-white nude silk fabric with vertical piping) discovered a repair on one side of the wood frame, and he surely fixed it good! He also did an expert job on reupolstering it too.
On second thought, I should've picked a more vintage fabric, but it look quite nice.
Good luck, Barry. I like...
Good luck, Barry. I like Antiques Roadshow and it would be fun to see you on there with your Grasshopper chair. Now, I do think if everyone went on that show knowing exactly what they had and its value, the show would suck - but every now and then they do allow folks on the show who know about their items, and that's just fine. The producers know what they are doing. I hope they choose you!
The producers know what they're doing, alright.
They're trying to set Barry up!
Here's how it goes: B explains how he's had an interest in MCM furniture for a long time and is knowledgeable enough to know a bargain when he sees one, basically coming across as a self-satisfied neophyte sucker.
Then comes the punch line: Asserting dominance in the hierarchy, the appraiser smugly informs us that had Barry found a slightly better example and NOT mucked with it, it would be worth a small fortune! But, alas, B's would only bring exactly half of what he spent on having it reupholstered.
Cue the condolence shot as our hero proclaims his undiminished love for the set and his plan to keep and use it, regardless of the paltry sum it would fetch.
Don't do it Barry! You'll never live it down!
tktoo
That's possibily the silliest thing I've read lately.
AR producers don't put people on TV to make fun of them, give them a hard time or anything else. What they do do is put on valuable items, interesting, unusual items not seen before, and fakes that significant enough to educate the viewers.
I know my chair is not a fake, but I do know it was reupholstered. The people who selected the chair and ottoman also knew it was reupholstered. I withholded nothing. That's not my style.
A chair like this has never been represented on AR, and even Wright have had precious few ottomans, so either way, it will be interesting.
A couple of you seem to get off on putting a wrench in any post they can, and quite honestly, it's getting on my nerves. Grow up, why don't cha?
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