GUEST: It's been part of our family for a lot of years, and people always made fun of it because it was so ugly. And we would rub its belly for good luck and take it to bingo games for luck. My wife doesn't care for it too much.
APPRAISER: You brought this piece, and there was sort of a controlled gasp at this table up and down because it so looks like a piece of English Martin Brothers. And so I looked at it, and I flipped it. And I see this mark, which is a French mark--Sarreguemines. Sarreguemines is not only one of the largest French potteries, but it's one of the biggest potteries ever. I believe they had up to 3,000 employees. They did everything, every type of pottery. And they did lots and lots of copies of other people's stuff. So I have never seen a piece of Sarreguemines that imitated so well a piece of Martin ware. Probably dating to the 18...late 1880s or 1890s. Though it has a drill hole; perhaps somebody was making a lamp. But this is before electricity, so that would make no sense at all. That would have been done later.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: He is so fabulous. He's so expressive and so crazy. What a fantastic glaze. And he's insane. (chuckling) Love him. I would put this at auction at $2,000 to $3,000.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: Easily.
GUEST: I would have never imagined that. That is fantastic.
