Antiques Roadshow guest bursts into tears over huge value of ‘ugly’ lamp which she found in the street

An Antiques Roadshow guest was completely shocked by the enormous value of her “ugly” lamp she found while out walking.

Expert Arlie Sulka evaluated the unusual item when the hit show visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.

In the American version of the BBC series, the guest explained: “I was out for a morning walk and I got about four houses away from where I live and there was a sign that said ‘Free.’

“So I walked by it the first day, and then the second day I thought about it again and thought, ‘Well, I’ll take this.’ And it’s pretty ugly but I can give it to someone, but it’s a lamp.” , so I’ll just take it.

“So when I brought it home, I ran to my neighbor and asked if I could cut the cable and fix it.

“He said the plug itself is very old and that I should wait and find out about the light fixture before cutting it off.”

The Antiques Roadshow expert revealed that it was a Louis Comfort Tiffany lamp made by Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces Inc.

Arlie said: “You have a gilt bronze base with the enamel design around the foot and then what we call a damascened blown glass shade with a wonderful iridescence on the outside.”

The expert explained that each lamp has different colors and each color differs the value of the lamp.

Arlie noted that the guest’s caramel color was “very desirable,” adding, “because it’s intact and the shade is one of the best colors.”

There was also a marking on the inside that said “LCT Favrile” which, the expert explained, showed that the lamp was “homemade.”

Revealing the staggering value of the item, Arlie said: “In a retail establishment, something like this could sell for between $10,000 and $15,000.”

Bursting into tears, the guest was shocked and said, “My God.”

The expert advised the guest to have the lamp rewired to maintain the value of the item and not transport the entire lamp again.

He added: “And please never transport it in one piece with the screen on like you did, because most of the value is in this shade.” And if you broke the blind, the base would be worth between $500 and $1,000. That’s why shadow is very important.’

Antiques Roadshow US is available to watch on PBS.