(Almost) No Oak in New York

Well, it is known as Americana Week, so why were we expecting early English oak? Partly because that’s the sort of idiots we are, but also because there’s usually a piece of two to be found among the numerous shows and auctions that constitute Americana Week in New York.

And so there was this year. A nice little trestle-based gate-leg turned up at the Winter Show. It had a glorious rich patina, but had rectangular-sectioned gates (usually a minor negative) and a price tag of — wait for it — $11,000! It sold.

Just for comparison, also at the Winter Show, there was a New England example, larger and chunkier, both in form and price. Reading the tag carefully, and twice, I found an extra zero on it — $110,000.

Gate-leg from New England: $110,000

If you keep an eye on our website, you’ll know the prices that we sell trestle-based gate-legs for. But then we’re not at the Winter Show.

Gate-leg from England: $11,000