'24 Fern Loar on Antiques Roadshow

[danb]

Just a few serials up from the http://www.mandolinarchive.com/gibson/serial/76547 Schultz Loar too!

[Ivan Kelsall]

If it's not 'legit' (which i feel sure it is),then it's the absolute ultimate in 'distressing' technique. I'll go with the loose binding on the 'Florida' which makes it look as thought the frets are too short on one side.I'd like to get my hands on that when a good luthier such as Lynn Dudenbostel or Steve Gilchrist, had worked their magic on it. Where is it now ?,
Ivan

[Darryl Wolfe]

I am not able to view the video. But I was involved in the investigation of the stolen mandolin via both Heritage and Grand Canyon officials.. I find it hard to believe Fred would be fooled. So are we saying that this is the real one with that serial number.

I do remember all the details about the Photo Appraisal of the other one. Nobody could produce photo's to verify anything about it after it was reported stolen. And the "Appraiser" could not either

Could the photo's have been of this one????

[journeybear]

I don't think so. The owner makes it sound as if she found it only recently, while the Grand Canyon fracas was three years ago. To quote: "It's been in a closet in a farm house for many, many years."

[Wesley]

"One of those rare discoveries that gives the rest of us hope, that maybe, just maybe, at that next estate auction... "

A few years back a friend of mine - a pastor back in Texas - asked me to look at a guitar a church member found in the back of their dads closet. They wanted to know if it was worth keeping or fixing up. It turned out to be a 1936 00-42 Martin in almost pristine condition considering it's age. So yeah - I keep hoping the same thing about the next estate or garage sale I drive by.

[Darryl Wolfe]

I don't think so. The owner makes it sound as if she found it only recently, while the Grand Canyon fracas was three years ago. To quote: "It's been in a closet in a farm house for many, many years."

OK, that supports the assumption that the other incident involved finding an unused serial number off the Journal list

[Willie Poole]

Some of those Antique Road shows ae old, and this could be the same mandolin that was stolen only after the show aired originally...Might be worth checking into that....

Willie

[f5loar]

The show airs tonight at 8PM (EST) on PBS. Check your local PBS listing for your time. Fred was not fooled. It's the real 76550 that he held in his hands on the show. Good close up of serial no. label and signed Loar label plus close ups of the headstock and other areas but not the back. There was no mention of a Virzi but couldn't see it either. Likely it had one as most all Fern Loars did during that sign date. Sure the girl was believeable but then so was Casey Anthony and Susan Smith. If an insurance claim was paid on that serial no. I suspect Heritage will get involved with the girl real soon.

[MikeEdgerton]

Yup, airs 1/9/2012. I was just looking that up when Tom posted.

[mrmando]

If an insurance claim was paid on that serial no. I suspect Heritage will get involved with the girl real soon.

Heritage already knows that the Grand Canyon incident was attempted insurance fraud, and they know who made the claim. What does "the girl" have to do with it? If she was involved with the insurance fraud, or stole the mandolin from Bright Angel Lodge, she'd have to be pretty stupid to go on national TV with the instrument.

[f5loar]

Well it has been over 5 years. Stupid is as stupid does.

[evanreilly]

I think the young lady is sincere and I know that Fred Oster knows his instruments!!

[John McCoy]

IU can see the dollar signs in Fred's eyes... I wonder what the rules are for appraisers on that show to contact the owners.

I happen to know the answer to that one. A while back one of the ARS appraisers was interviewed on local TV here (Chicago) and that exact question was asked. They are not allowed to conduct or attempt to conduct any business on the premises of the venue used by the program or to seek or even accept contact information from any of the item owners. They may, however, after taping has wrapped, give their contact info to item owners and invite them to initiate contact; but that's all: they can't make any kind of an offer at all, not even "I'll do the best I can." And if they get caught low-balling or high-balling an appraisal with an eye to future business (even with the viewing public), it's "Bye-Bye" forever.

== John ==

[jim simpson]

nice to see Philly represent!

Yes indeed! I used to run into Fred Oster all the time when I lived in Philly. He would approach me as to what I was carrying at the guitar shows. I always told him junk as I knew anything I had was below his league. He would laugh and nod knowingly.
Fred won a 1929 Fern at an auction I attended along with many other starry eyed dreamers. It sold for $29,000 plus 15% buyer's fee. Fred told me there were a number of issues to ready it for sale and I believe he sold it for about $45,000 a month or so later. This was about 8 years ago if memory is correct.

[Ken Waltham]

I just watched the Roadshow, and there is no doubt whatsoever that the mandolin presented was the real deal, and in all likelihood has nothing at all to do with this scandal.
I have one very close to that in serial number, and even the limey green of the case interior is exactly the same. I know Fred as well, and he knows what it is.
So, Darryl, you can rest assured that the "real" F5 with the serial number in question has surfaced. A VERY nice one, indeed!

[Andrew B. Carlson]

Maybe it's better that she didn't know exactly what she had found in the closet. I'd have a heart attack in the closet and no one would find me for awhile.

[allenhopkins]

It was a Roadshow full of surprises, good and bad: a collection of fake Remington and Russell bronze Western sculptures, for which the owner had overpaid 100%. A similarly over-priced late-19th-century settee. Some very valuable art, including a Lichtenstein print that the owner found "ugly," but learned to love when she got its value -- and a Forrest Bess painting, brought in by a friend of Bess, a semi-reclusive painter who ended up running a live bait store. Check out the owner's reaction when he gets a $75K appraisal!

But of course, the first broadcast hour of the Tulsa Roadshow brought the all-time highest AR appraisal, $1-1.5 million for a collection of Chinese rhino-horn cups:



Now I'm waiting for a collection of old tortoise-shell mandolin picks to be appraised for $2 million...

[David Newton]

Hoot!
It was a great night for us Roadshow freaks!

[Bob Clark]

"It's been in a closet in a farm house for many, many years."

Since I live in a farmhouse, JB's post got me excited for a minute there. I ran around and checked all my closets twice. Nope, no Loar. Too bad. I must live in the wrong farmhouse. Oh well, could be worse. I could have found banjos.

[journeybear]

Best keep looking till you're sure there aren't any lurking in the shadows. Especially tenors - crafty little devils. You don't want to wake up to find you're the victim of a killer banjo.

[allenhopkins]

Short follow-up interview with the Loar's owner. Apparently the mandolin hasn't been played since her family bought it in the 1930's.

[terzinator]

Yeah, she says they're going to buy a safe to put it in. Hopefully they'll find a reputable person to give it a thorough setup and give it a go. If I found it, I would have so many more cool ideas about what to do than just put it in a safe!

"Hello, David Grisman? Are you free for lunch?"

[JeffD]

I would not store something like that in a safe on my property. Not after being on national television. I would store it off site, and I would have said so in that interview.

[Dan Hoover]

maybe we could all scrape together a few dollars and kind of create a time share user group?

[journeybear]

Also, she has known about it and knew it was valuable (if not how much) for a "couple of years" - so you conspiracy theorists can go on and have some fun with that. But as thrilled as I am to learn of another one of these being discovered, I am disheartened by the thought of it being locked away. Keeping it secure and well-maintained is one thing, but under lock and key when they are supposed to be played is another. Too many of these have been squirrelled away by investors.