It’s a tradition in many families to pass special items down to the next generation.
But have you ever wondered what those heirlooms are worth?
Two sisters were moved to tears after finding out the worth of what their beloved mother left them.
They had a chance for their lamp to be appraised in one of the most popular shows from PBS.
The Antiques Roadshow moves from state to state where people in the locality can share their strangest and rarest finds or family heirlooms that are just collecting dust in their attics.
For this family, they shared the story of their Tiffany Studios Rose Helmet Lamp.
The beautiful piece screams the artistry of the antebellum age.
With urbanity reaching new heights and newer technologies giving birth to new crafts, these lamps became one of the most sought-after pieces of New York’s elite society.
The Tiffany Studios Rose Helmet Lamp, heavily influenced by the movement of Art Noveau, features a cover reminiscent of the war helmets of that time.
Roses are strewn on its stained glass pattern with muted colors that are easy on the eyes.
The sisters shared that the lamp was owned by their mother.
Their mother found the lamp in the advertisement section of their local newspaper.
Their mother knew what the lamp was and was eager to buy it off from whoever was selling it.
The person selling the lamp was aware of what kind of gem she had.
And so it’s strange that she was letting it go just as easy. The seller told her that the lamp belonged to her grandfather.
She took it with her when she moved but realized that it would take up too much space in her small studio apartment.
It was a problem their mother was more than willing to solve.
She asked the woman “Well, what would you like for it?”
Incredibly, she was able to purchase the lamp for $125.
Knowing the real worth of the lamp, their mother did well in taking care of it.
And with “taking care of it”, we mean hiding it from everyone else.
The sisters explained that they were five rambunctious siblings and that kind of energy doesn’t really go well with expensive glass lamps.
The lamp has since reemerged and the sisters were curious about how much it costs now.
The appraiser walked them through the history of the piece.
The lamp was indeed made from Tiffany Studios, the firm owned and operated by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the son of the founder of Tiffany and Co.
It was considered a luxury item back in the day where it sold at around $200 in 1905.
The appraiser also noted that their find was much rarer.
Through time, the shade and the base can get separated. But their lamp has always been the same set through all these years.
So if it was indeed a great find, why did the seller let it go?
Apparently, she was a victim of fault appraising. She knew that the lamp was a Tiffany so she was surprised when the appraiser said it wasn’t.
After that, two more appraisers confirmed the same thing so the seller was left believing that she didn’t have an authentic product.
That misfortune proved to be a boon to the two sisters.
When they finally talked about the lamp’s cost in today’s market, she said that their heirloom can drop a coin somewhere between $80,000 to $125,000!
As one might expect, the sisters are overwhelmed with emotion finding out their mom’s old lamp is worth tens of thousands of dollars.
This unforgettable segment aired in 1999, so the lamp has raised in value since then. It’s worth way more now.
Click on the video below to see the sisters’ emotional reaction – plus to find out the lamp’s value in 2021!
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