QUESTION OF THE WEEK: July 19, 2021.
Do you have a question and want to possibly be featured? E-mail me here and I’ll do my best to answer. Be sure to include QUESTION OF THE WEEK as the subject line. Keep in mind my answers here are mostly general and should not take the place of a formal appraisal.
Question: “I think I have a Tiffany lamp. What is it worth?” Kevin from Naperville, Illinois.
Answer: Over the years I’ve evaluated several “Tiffany” lamps but only one actual Tiffany lamp.
Similar to how “Coke” often is used to describe any brown carbonated soda, “Tiffany” has come to describe any lamp with a mosaic-like glass shade for many consumers. While some reproductions hold close to Tiffany’s designs most do not nor were they really trying to. Once you see the work that goes into actual Tiffany lamps it becomes clear what’s not a Tiffany even if it’s described as such.
A Tiffany lamp:
A Tiffany-style lamp:
Hopefully you can see there is a stark difference between an actual Tiffany lamp and one that is merely Tiffany-style. Tiffany lamps just have an undeniable WOW factor that Tiffany-style lamps usually lack.
That being said, there are some very well made Tiffany reproductions that also have that WOW factor. In these cases, one must look for Tiffany marks and be familiar with Tiffany base and shade designs to make an educated assessment.
While it’s easy to determine what is not a Tiffany lamp, determining what is a Tiffany (versus a well-made reproduction) sometimes requires more work. But it’s worth it.
A Tiffany-style lamp might be valued at less than $100. A well-made reproduction can sell for between $1,000 and up to even $20,000. An actual Tiffany lamp can sell for between $75,000 and up to $3.3 million.
Have more questions? E-mail me at grantmiller@grantmillerappraisals.com. In Illinois and looking for an art or antiques appraiser? Call or text me at 813-240-4586 (Chicago and elsewhere).