Although having an acclaimed name within American decorative arts history, Duncan Phyfe furniture is extremely rare to behold. So, for an antique furniture appraisal, setting eyes upon a piece of Phyfe furniture would be like discovering the holy grail of American antique furniture! Scotting-born Duncan Phyfe (1768-1854) was the most sought-after furniture maker in the United States during the ... Read More
Dolls for Days – Part 1: Doll Basics
June 6, 2019 Michelle Miller
The second Saturday in June is World Doll Day, so let's celebrate with some history about antique and collectible dolls from around the world! Check back all month for parts 2 and 3! First, an important note before we begin- how do you know what type of doll you even have? With a variety of materials - from porcelain to plastic, composite to cloth, papier-mâché to leather, and celluloid to ... Read More
Antique French Mantel Clocks
April 4, 2019
Tick-tock! Spring has sprung! What better way to welcome the arrival of springtime than with an antique French mantel clock! And with a color palette of gold, turquoise, Robin's egg blue, pistachio-green, cotton-candy pink and malachite green, the design and decoration of 17th, 18th, and 19th-century French mantel clocks incorporate all the trappings of spring. You're probably most familiar ... Read More
Q & A With Founder Carrie Gough
September 21, 2018 by Michelle Miller
How did the idea of What's It Worth come about? I have been a professional fine art appraiser for over ten years. With this, I noticed a consistent "gap" in the market with clients who had inherited a vase, stumbled across a painting, or had been sitting on an antique lamp who had no idea where to go to explore the value. Most of these clients do not need formal art appraisals (AKA appraisals ... Read More
Appraisal Daze: Identifying Your Antiques
August 30, 2018 by Michelle Miller & Carrie Gough
Given the never fading popularity of the PBS hit Antiques Roadshow, we increasingly hear the question "Where can I get my antiques appraised?" "How can I appraise my antiques" You've probably seen at least one episode of the PBS hit show "Antiques Roadshow." With art appraisers excitedly waiting at the helm, people line up in droves to discover more about their beloved antique items or ... Read More
A Quilted History: America and Its Sewn Collections
July 10, 2018 by Michelle Miller
When you think about American collectibles and antiques, cars, rock-n-roll memorabilia, presidential campaign paraphernalia, and Civil War relics are a few things that come to mind. Quilts, however, especially patchwork ones, are an overlooked category, but one that has become recognized as a distinctly and uniquely American form of art. Throughout American history, women were in charge of ... Read More
Can I Really Appraise My Art Online?
November 1, 2017 by Carrie Gough
What is my art worth? What are my antiques worth? Where can I value my art and antiques? As the art world remains opaque, these questions become more prevalent. There are very few industries out there that have not been affected by technology and the art world is certainly no exception. These days we can easily capture high quality digital images of our art, antiques and collectibles and ... Read More
Is a Free Appraisal Really Free?
by Carrie Gough
Where can I get a free art appraisal? Buyer beware - why free appraisals are not really free and why consumers should choose an unbiased source like What’s it Worth when valuing their art, antiques and collectibles. If you google “free art or antiques appraisal” plenty of options can be found. But if the consumer digs a little deeper, they will soon discover that the entity advertising a ... Read More
