Price It Yourself! The Definitive, Down-to-earth Guide to Appraising Antiques and Collectibles in your Home, at Auctions, Estate Sales, Shops, and Yard Sales [Paperback]

Joe L. Rosson (Author), Helaine Fendelman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2003

Discover the tools used by professional appraisers to evaluate your own antiques and make educated decisions in the antiques market.

Now the information once held by a select group of professional appraisers is available for all levels of collectors. With great wit and wisdom, Joe L. Rosson and Helaine Fendelman -- hosts of the popular television show Treasures in Your AtticTM, seen on PBS stations nationwide -- will help you identify, understand, and determine the potential value of any type of antique or collectible. Price It Yourself! not only explores all the basic concepts and skills that you must know in order to value an antique ACCURATELY, it is also filled with practice appraisals to help you develop an "eye" for value.

Price It Yourself! is truly the most comprehensive antiques appraisal and research guide available, covering furniture, glass, pottery and porcelain, silver and other metals, household collectibles, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Run--do not walk--to borrow, beg, or buy a copy of PBS-TV hosts Rosson and Fendelman's latest book (the first one was named for their show, Treasures in Your Attic). This treasure trove is the first realistic and practical guide to self-appraising antiques--or seemingly old objects. The purview the authors establish for themselves is definitely decorative accessories; furniture, glass, pottery and porcelain, silver, and that wonderful category, miscellaneous, are the areas scrutinized. Part 1 introduces readers to the mechanics--knowledge needed, the process, factors that determine value, pricing (yes, there's more than one), and research. Part 2 then supplies the details on 45 different items, ranging from four Victorian side chairs to a rare Georg Jensen silver bowl. Each features facts first, like form, materials, and method of construction, then delves into more description, such as, How do I know it's old? Or rare? The last section is filled with resources, a librarian's dream. Appended are appraisal valuations and a glossary. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Joe L. Rosson and Helaine Fendelman are the host of the popular television show seen on PBS stations nationwide Treasures in the Attic. Helaine writes the "What is it? What is it worth?" column for Country Living magazine and Joe is the antiques columnist for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. They both write Scripts Howard weekly newspaper column "Treasures in the attic".

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; 1 edition (March 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060096845
• ISBN-13: 978-0060096847
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #740,452 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Title Misleading-Not What You Think, September 27, 2004

By 

P. Woodrow (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Price It Yourself! The Definitive, Down-to-earth Guide to Appraising Antiques and Collectibles in your Home, at Auctions, Estate Sales, Shops, and Yard Sales (Paperback)

I bought this book thinking it would help me in my new venture of antique collecting. While the authors are very well-qualified in this subject I feel as though it wasn't written for the average person. This book WILL NOT help you when you go to your Saturday garage sale or flea market. The book spends way too much time on furniture and the second half of the book is all 'practice appraisals' which are for objects the average person will never buy or be able to afford. I felt like this book had a certain 'snob' appeal and if you can afford to buy a $5000 or $10,000 piece you probably have enough knowledge without having to consult a book. (I was stumped because the practice appraisals don't list a value for any of this stuff). Save your money and buy a book that directly relates to what you are collecting or hoping to find.

66 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Total Waste of Money, December 17, 2004

By 

Frances "booklover" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Price It Yourself! The Definitive, Down-to-earth Guide to Appraising Antiques and Collectibles in your Home, at Auctions, Estate Sales, Shops, and Yard Sales (Paperback)

I am sorry, but who ever thought this book was in any way helpful in teaching people to "Price it Yourself" was oh so wrong. I was so excited about getting the book and when I opened it to find nothing but page after page of words with only a few drawings to back them up... I was, oh so sadly, disappointed. I guess it might work IF you were to come across the exact item(s) discribed throughout the book. It's like trying to read an encyclopidia, only not as informative. I tried to get through it, but put it down after five or so pages. It's off to the Goodwill, so if you want it, look for it there.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars No Use To Me, December 2, 2005

By 

CranberryManor - See all my reviews

This review is from: Price It Yourself! The Definitive, Down-to-earth Guide to Appraising Antiques and Collectibles in your Home, at Auctions, Estate Sales, Shops, and Yard Sales (Paperback)

I have yet to use this book in any real-life, practical way. It is too big to bring to sales and takes too long to research stuff if you did bring it with you. By the time you found the item you were interested in, someone else would have snapped it up. My experience in buying has served me much better. This book has become another shelf-space-eating dust collector.