Home >> Collecting >> Other Collecting

How to Appraise Wooden Vases

Wooden vessels have been common in the United States since 1635, Mary C. Beaudry reports in "Documentary Archaeology in the New World." The wooden bowl, found in excavations done in Maryland, appeared as the most common all-purpose vessel. Wood is a favorite natural product for making accessories for the American home. Production of new hand-turned wooden vases continues today. The value of a wooden vase, called treenware in England, depends on appraisal factors including scarcity and quality, damage, and identification of the maker.

Instructions

- 1
  Learn appraisal techniques. A qualified appraiser learns to do appraisals following the Uniform Standards of Personal Appraisal Practice. This training is available through the International Society of Appraisers or the Appraisers Association of America.
- 2
  Determine the purpose or function of the appraisal of a wooden vase. An appraisal for insurance is not the same as appraisal for an estate sale or auction, and the appraisal is only valid for the use stated. Make sure you know the difference.
- 3
  Consider market trends for appraising wooden vases. When the economy is in a slump, fewer buyers vying for the product may decrease the value. The economy affects high-end antiques less than new wooden vases or a wooden vase of medium quality and value.
- 4
  Identify the wood by grain and color. Wooden vases created from exotic and rare woods are usually more valuable, whether new or old. Use a website such as Hobbit House or the book "Identifying Wood" by R. Bruce Hoadley for help with identification. Learn common colors of wood: red likely means mahogany or cherry, oak and pine are light colored, and dark colors often come from exotic wood like ebony.
- 5
  Identify the maker and era. Signed bowls and vases or items with a provenance or history of ownership are more valuable than unsigned vases without attribution or history. Age may increase the value but some new hand-turned artistic wood vases prove more valuable than poor-quality antiques. If the wooden vase is unsigned, ask the previous owner about the history. Determine the era and age by the style, the shape, and purpose, as well as from the wear on the wood, particularly on the bottom.
- 6
  Recognize quality and skill. Wood turning and carving are artistic endeavors and quality work is art. The skill of the artisan that is superlative to skill of other makers increases value. Rough finish, errors in the carving or turning, or serious defects in the wood may devalue a wooden vase.
- 7
  Look for defects and damage. Damage decreases the value of collectibles by as much as 50 percent and even slight damage such as scratches on the bottom from use affect the value.
- 8
  Know the difference in price and value. Items are often overpriced, and price and value are not the same. Item prices in stores do not accurately reflect value. Value and prices realized at a sale are related, other factors such as damage and artistic merit being equal. Value items of your own, or get an appraiser with expertise in the area of personal property and decorative arts or household items to appraise a wooden vase or bowl that you believe may be valuable. Your item may be worthy of a trip to the Antiques Roadshow where appraisers often value wooden bowls and vases. One wooden bowl on the show was valued at $40,000 to $60,000.

Other Collecting