DUST off your old paintings, shine the family jewels and dig out the long-forgotten heirlooms – the stuff you call junk may just be worth a fortune.
Over the past few days two of South Africa’s top arts and antiquities appraisers have been in the Eastern Cape putting a value on all sorts of “junk” – and even a few priceless gems – in the hope of convincing owners to auction them off to collectors around the world later this year.
Although most of the 50 odd people who patiently waited for valuations at the Port Alfred Museum yesterday did not hit the jackpot, there were a few who walked away smiling.
One pensioner who dug out scratched a silver tea set and tray from a cupboard and a box of inherited watches from a drawer left the goods with expert appraiser Vanessa Phillips after being told they were worth about R100000.
When told a box of fewer than 10 gold watches was valued at R75000, the old man’s face lit up.
“I will be back just now,” he explained. “I am going home to get the rest of the boxes of watches my father left me.”
The man – who declined to be named for fear it would tip thieves off to the treasures in his his treasure trove wrapped in paper and packed into cupboards at house – said he would rather get rid of the gold and silver items as he was tired of spending hours keeping them bright and shiny.
“I might as well get rid of the stuff, the younger people in the family do not want it.”
Phillips’ face lit up again when Ken Alberts opened his Arriving with a box marked “Fragile – Dolls” and , as soon as Ken Alberts unpacked his laughing pagoda figurines – with moving heads and hands – Phillips’ face lit up.
“I have never seen a pair this big,” she explained. “We sold two small ones like this in February for R70000.”
The 30cm high Dresden ceramic figures dated back to 1880 and had been handed down from generation to generation in the Alberts family.
Although damaged the figurines were valued between R50000 to R70000 or more.
“The size is the thing that blows me away,” Phillips said.
Paintings specialist Phillipa Dun can said she had come across cases of one person’s junk literally being another’s treasure.
A painting found in a rubbish bin in the Karoo recently sold for R50000 after she appraised it as being a long lost Ruth Prowse.
Over the past two days the duo have seen more than 350 people on behalf of Strauss and Co auctioneers and will be in East London today (SUBS: 20/03/13) at the Anne Bryant Gallery doing valuations.
Phillips said one client had come in with a cup that turned out to be rare Cape silver made by Gerhardus Lotter in the 18th century and worth between R60000 and R80000.
“Yesterday a client came in with a silver cup and cover and it turned out to be rare Cape silver made by Gerhardus Lotter in the eighteenth Century,” said Phillips.
“She had no idea what it was and stopped dead in her tracks when she told it was worth between R60000 and R80000.”
Old ‘junk’ reveals surprise treasures
Over the past few days two of South Africa’s top arts and antiquities appraisers have been in the Eastern Cape putting a value on all sorts of “junk” – and even a few priceless gems – in the hope of convincing owners to auction them off to collectors around the world later this year.
Although most of the 50 odd people who patiently waited for valuations at the Port Alfred Museum yesterday did not hit the jackpot, there were a few who walked away smiling.
One pensioner who dug out scratched a silver tea set and tray from a cupboard and a box of inherited watches from a drawer left the goods with expert appraiser Vanessa Phillips after being told they were worth about R100000.
When told a box of fewer than 10 gold watches was valued at R75000, the old man’s face lit up.
“I will be back just now,” he explained. “I am going home to get the rest of the boxes of watches my father left me.”
The man – who declined to be named for fear it would tip thieves off to the treasures in his his treasure trove wrapped in paper and packed into cupboards at house – said he would rather get rid of the gold and silver items as he was tired of spending hours keeping them bright and shiny.
“I might as well get rid of the stuff, the younger people in the family do not want it.”
Phillips’ face lit up again when Ken Alberts opened his Arriving with a box marked “Fragile – Dolls” and , as soon as Ken Alberts unpacked his laughing pagoda figurines – with moving heads and hands – Phillips’ face lit up.
“I have never seen a pair this big,” she explained. “We sold two small ones like this in February for R70000.”
The 30cm high Dresden ceramic figures dated back to 1880 and had been handed down from generation to generation in the Alberts family.
Although damaged the figurines were valued between R50000 to R70000 or more.
“The size is the thing that blows me away,” Phillips said.
Paintings specialist Phillipa Dun can said she had come across cases of one person’s junk literally being another’s treasure.
A painting found in a rubbish bin in the Karoo recently sold for R50000 after she appraised it as being a long lost Ruth Prowse.
Over the past two days the duo have seen more than 350 people on behalf of Strauss and Co auctioneers and will be in East London today (SUBS: 20/03/13) at the Anne Bryant Gallery doing valuations.
Phillips said one client had come in with a cup that turned out to be rare Cape silver made by Gerhardus Lotter in the 18th century and worth between R60000 and R80000.
“Yesterday a client came in with a silver cup and cover and it turned out to be rare Cape silver made by Gerhardus Lotter in the eighteenth Century,” said Phillips.
“She had no idea what it was and stopped dead in her tracks when she told it was worth between R60000 and R80000.”
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