Are Your Old Photos Valuable?

Are Your Old Photos Valuable? 34-5-9 If there's something about an old photo that makes it stand out, it could be worth more than just sentimental value in your family scrapbook. Recently, when more than 100 old photos ù mostly portraits ù were auctioned through Cowan's in Cincinnati, about a third sold for less than $100, but the rest brought in higher prices. One ambrotype (positive image on glass plate) of 14 people in a touring wagon in front of a hotel sold for $881. Photos of nationally known people ù such as Abraham Lincoln ù are always of interest to collectors, says Katie Landrigan, an American history specialist and assistant in Cowan's Early Photography division. "The sky's the limit when it's someone you can identify," she says. The type of photo also adds value from the oldest Daguerreotype (silver-coated metal plate) to ambrotype and tintype (iron metal plate), and even old paper photos. Portrait shots that include a person such as a police officer or fireman holding a tool of their trade have value, but so can an extremely artful shot of a mother holding a child. The more information that's known about a photo, the more value it has. Was it taken by a well-known photographer? Does the background or the clothing have historical significance? For example, Cowan's recently auctioned off a photo of a railroad car taken in the mid 1800's. They anticipated it would sell for $5,000, but it sold for almost twice that much, because the railroad car was identified. Likewise, rural-themed photos such as buffalo being herded on the Santa Fe Trail attract collectors. "Condition of the photo is very important, Landrigan says, noting that faded, water damage and tears decrease the value greatly. People who believe they have valuable photos should contact antique dealers or auction houses for appraisals. Cowan often does informal appraisals for free ù with the hopes of being able to auction them off. There is a fee for appraising photos for insurance purposes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Cowan's Auctions, Inc., 6270 Este Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45232 (ph 513 871-1670; www.cowanauctions.com).

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