Dr. Lori finds worth in locals' stored-away stuff
Proceeds from antique and other item appraisals benefit Horse Park
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

SCOTT FRIEDMAN Antiques appraiser Lori Verdame, known as "Dr. Lori," explains how to evaluate the worth a 19th-century needlepoint chair at the Horse Park of New Jersey on June 2.

UPPER FREEHOLD - Some of the trash in Cindy Mayer's basement turned out to be treasure.

The Millstone resident and her daughter, Katie Shields, of Morrisville, Pa., brought several items that once belonged to Mayer's grandmother to the Horse Park of New Jersey on June 2, where Lori Verdame, host of "Ask Dr. Lori" on television's Comcast Network Channel 8, appraised them.

Mayer joined about 50 other locals who visited Dr. Lori at the park to find out what their stuff is worth. Each item cost $10 to appraise, and the appraisal fees will benefit the Horse Park.

Among the items Mayer brought was a teapot from her grandmother's estate. Dr. Lori appraised the pot, circa 1910, at between $350 and $450.

Although Mayer had considered throwing away another small lavender-colored pot, it's a good thing she didn't. When Dr. Lori appraised the item, she said the pot is circa 1920 Renaissance Revival majolica, which is a heavy, highly glazed earthenware. Dr. Lori estimated the pot's value at $775.

A certified appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers, Verdame is a graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. She earned her doctorate in art history from Penn State University in State College, Pa. She taught art history at the State University of New York, Connecticut State University and Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. Verdame serves on the faculty at Penn State University and has held various museum positions.

Tom and Jamie Smith, of Allentown, brought several photos to Dr. Lori of a brass bed they bought at a consignment shop. Dr. Lori said the piece is an Empire Revival bed from the mid- to late-19th century and that it is worth between $2,700 and $2,900. Had the Smiths not modified it to accommodate a queen-size mattress, it might have been worth $5,000, according to Dr. Lori.

Bruce McNab, of Millstone, brought his mother's Wedgwood Florentine set of china, which he said is rarely used, to Dr. Lori. She said the complete set is worth about $3,000 but could be worth closer to $4,000 "if you worked at it."

Dr. Lori advised not to split up sets of china among heirs but to instead keep them together to make sure they are stored under the same conditions.

Dr. Lori said art and antiques should not be stored in basements or attics. They like to be where people live and used regularly, she said.

Dr. Lori said that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover art and antiques. However, according to Dr. Lori, additional insurance for such items is cheap and would cost the average homeowner only about $10 per month.

Jenny Prazak, of Millstone, has a painting that her serviceman father brought back from Europe after World War II. Dr. Lori said it is a copy of a Dutch Baroque painting by Jan Steen. The painting was not a reproduction, she said, but an original copy and she estimated its worth to be $5,000. She told the Prazaks they should use D-Rings to hang the painting so it does not plummet to the floor.

The Prazaks also had a Currier and Ives print for appraisal. Dr. Lori said there is a brown haze on the print, which some dealers would tell buyers is a sign of age. She disagreed, saying that it is mold damage and noting that acid-free matting was not available until the later 20th century. The print is worth about $150, she said.

Cynthia Stark, of Millstone, wanted to know the worth of a print her sister-in-law gave her as a wedding present. She said her sister-in-law had advised throwing out the print and keeping the frame. Dr. Lori said the hand-carved frame is worth about $840, and the Currier & Ives print is worth $775.

Stark also brought in a print of a clipper ship she bought for her husband for $800. Dr. Lori said the print, also a Currier and Ives, is valued at $2,500.

Several people brought in pieces of jewelry they had bought at yard sales. While there were no astounding finds this time around, Dr. Lori pointed out that items at such sales could be worth 30 or 40 times the $1 people spent for them. She advised using eBay to get better value for jewelry rather than selling it at yard or garage sales.

Dr. Lori also provided other shopping advice, which included buying a whole set of something instead of purchasing piecemeal. She said having a set of anything increases its value.

The most difficult part of appraising is identifying objects, according to Dr. Lori. Collectors can learn to identify items and develop expertise by knowing the market for what they collect, she said.

Some trash is just, well, trash. One woman brought in two prints that her ex-husband had found in the garbage. According to Dr. Lori, they were worth just a little more than what he paid for them.