Antique-shop.com

Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: ghopper1924 on February 14, 2017, 12:18:17 pm

Title: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: ghopper1924 on February 14, 2017, 12:18:17 pm
Just acquired this walnut and marble etagere ca. 1865. I think it was made by Mitchell & Rammelsberg of Cincinnati and St. Louis, which makes sense since I'm in mid-Missouri and it came from a mid-Missouri estate. Mitchell & Rammelsberg was the most prolific furniture maker in the country by the time of the Civil War. Anyway, I'm basing the attribution on etageres and pier mirrors that the company was making at the time; so far as I can tell this one isn't signed (though I didn't take the back of the mirror off).

Original everything. My feeling is $2500 for insurance. What do you think?

Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: mart on February 14, 2017, 02:22:40 pm
Go up another $500. for insurance purposes !!    And if ever possible,, try to get someone accredited to give a written estimate !!
Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: ghopper1924 on February 14, 2017, 02:24:34 pm
3K! All right!  Will do!!
Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: mart on February 14, 2017, 02:33:36 pm
3K! All right!  Will do!!

And take pics of everything,, keep all in your safety deposit box at your bank !!
Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: ghopper1924 on February 14, 2017, 03:22:05 pm
OK, so just curious: If 3K is a fair insurance value, is there a formula for how much the etagere should have cost?

In other words, $2K purchase price = $3K insurance price?
Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: jacon4 on February 14, 2017, 05:02:54 pm
Very nice. I can't speak to value with much authority but 3k sounds about right to me.  I notice it has a carved "jenny lind" head which is a nice feature.
Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: mart on February 14, 2017, 08:26:07 pm
OK, so just curious: If 3K is a fair insurance value, is there a formula for how much the etagere should have cost?

In other words, $2K purchase price = $3K insurance price?

Not really !!  What insurance usually looks at is replacement cost/value !!  And no matter what you gave for it replacement would be on average 75% of its estimated value !!  Thats why most valuations are bumped up for insurance purposes !!  Insure it for $3K and hope you get $2K !!
Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: talesofthesevenseas on February 15, 2017, 12:17:20 pm
Beautiful!!!
Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: KC on February 15, 2017, 11:07:02 pm
NICE!!!!  Beautiful carving.  I would gander that replacing that would cost a tad bit more - these are not easily found!
Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: ghopper1924 on February 15, 2017, 11:39:44 pm
Thanks! we're super happy with it.

That level of skill and art just can't be found in today's furniture. The etagere is about 150 years old, and with minimal care it will last another 150.

Title: Re: Your Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: KC on February 16, 2017, 01:18:55 am
Totally agree!

Great craftsmanship and then care is irreplaceable!
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: ghopper1924 on February 17, 2017, 03:18:45 am
Oh, and just for fun: That Christmas cactus to the left of the etagere is a cutting from a plant that goes back in MsGhopper's family for 200 years. At one time one of its ancestors was eaten down to the ground by grasshoppers, but it has always recovered. Now we have 2, just in case we have another insect attack. ;D
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: mart on February 18, 2017, 09:02:15 am
You could supply the town with the size of that cactus !!
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: ghopper1924 on February 18, 2017, 01:19:28 pm
Ha! Yes, under the right conditions they turn into giant green afros! :o
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: KC on February 21, 2017, 11:05:43 am
Nice that you could carry on that plant for that long!  (All of my Christmas cactus just finished blooming! Didn't even have a bud at Christmas!)

Our family has Staghorn ferns that have been carried on throughout the family for near as long!
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: ghopper1924 on February 21, 2017, 11:49:22 am


Our family has Staghorn ferns that have been carried on throughout the family for near as long!

Cool. Post a pic and tell the story when you've got a chance!
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: rwarde on February 21, 2017, 12:02:40 pm
Picked this up at a junk store in NYC today.
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: KC on February 21, 2017, 12:20:49 pm
Is this pewter?
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: Chrislondo-London on February 21, 2017, 12:39:51 pm
nice
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: Chrislondo-London on February 21, 2017, 12:46:28 pm
any other finds?
Title: Re: My Most Recent Acquisition
Post by: rwarde on February 21, 2017, 02:43:29 pm
Is this pewter?

I'm not sure, it seems very heavy whatever it is.