Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

My husband bought it at a garage sale about 20 years ago in Alabama.

APPRAISER

Do you like it?

GUEST

I'm particularly not fond of it, but he likes it.

APPRAISER

What you've brought us is an Austrian cold-painted bronze by Franz Bergman, and Bergman was making these exotic bronzes at the late 19th, early 20th century. And it has a mark, which is how the Bergman company signed their work. And it is this quintessential gentlemen's desk object. It really has a utilitarian use in that you see this rug dealer with his rug rolled out-- it's probably a tribal rug-- and you could actually use that. You could lay your pen on it, you might put spare change on it, so it's a useful object as well as being beautiful. So do you know what he paid for it?

GUEST

He only paid, like, $20 for that and a vase that he also bought with it.

APPRAISER

Value on it, I would say probably $1,500 to $2,000. This would be an appropriate price.

GUEST

For this?

APPRAISER

Yes, yes. The reason is that it is in impeccable condition. Also the fact that this is a bigger one. They're in the $200 to $300 range for a little piece.

GUEST

I guess I will like it a lot more now and I probably will take a lot better care of it taking it home than I did bringing it in.