GUEST: We were cleaning out the house of a friend who had passed away, and we found it in the basement lying around.
APPRAISER: What it is is what we call a trade sign. This was a sign that would hang outside of a jewelry shop or a watch shop, and it really sort of hearkens back to the time when you couldn't count on people being literate. These date generally from the 1880s, 1890s.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: The majority of them are all cast metal-- cast iron with a zinc face. What's really unusual about this is it is wood with a cast iron top. Has a little damage right here. And the other side, there's always one side that's not quite as good as the other. But all you need is one side.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: I think at auction, even in this condition, it could easily bring $2,000 to $3,000.
GUEST: Really?
APPRAISER: And who knows, maybe a little more. It has a great quality to it.
GUEST: Great, thank you.
