GUEST: It's a painting by a kid that I went to school with in Montana. His name is Clyde Aspevig.
APPRAISER: And so you've known this artist for some time?
GUEST: Well, we actually went to school about the same time. I didn't really know him that well.
APPRAISER: Okay.
GUEST: But I liked his work, so I got a chance to get this at an auction, and so I bought it.
APPRAISER: What kind of auction was it?
GUEST: It was a fundraising auction for, like, a junior women's club.
APPRAISER: Okay, and how long ago was that?
GUEST: Probably 30 years ago or more.
APPRAISER: So this is an oil on canvas painting by Clyde Aspevig. It's from 1979.
GUEST: That's about right.
APPRAISER: So you probably acquired it not that long after it was painted.
GUEST: Right, probably.
APPRAISER: We do have here in the lower right a signature and a date. And there's a tag on the back, and I don't know if you've noticed that.
GUEST: I saw it today when you looked at it, but I've never seen it before.
APPRAISER: And the tag gives us the title of the painting.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: Which is "Snow Ridge." And it also gives a price of $5,000.
GUEST: Yeah, I was shocked.
APPRAISER: Now, what did you pay for the painting?
GUEST: $600.
APPRAISER: Well, Clyde Aspevig is one of the best known contemporary painters of western art. He started his career really in the '70s, but since then has become very successful and well known as one of the best artists, really, painting these western landscapes. He believes very strongly in preserving the untouched landscape, and so he has committed really his whole life career to painting Montana, Wyoming, all of these areas.
GUEST: Is he still alive?
APPRAISER: He is still alive. He was born in 1951.
GUEST: Oh, okay.
APPRAISER: But he's still painting and represented by galleries and highly sought after.
GUEST: Oh, okay, cool.
APPRAISER: And have you had this painting appraised before?
GUEST: No, never.
APPRAISER: This painting currently would have a replacement value of $50,000.
GUEST: Whoo. That's nice. Thank you.
