Argy Rousseau Price Guide
Best of the Best – $20,000 or more
Don’t expect to find something like this at the local antique mall. This price point is reserved for true museum quality pieces. For something to be worth this kind of money it would need to be unique, or one of only two or three pieces known to exist. It would help to be a high-end commission piece with documentation. There are probably less than twenty pieces of G. Argy Rousseau art glass known to exist that one could defensibly value at more than $20,000. These might be available on the open market at most two or three times a decade.
High End Vases & Lamps – $5,000 to $15,000
There is a big price gap between $5,000 and $15,000; however, that is how the market can be for Argy-Rousseau. Something that someone paid $15,000 for a year ago could be worth $5,000 today, and vice versa. The market is driven by maybe a hundred collectors and a dozen or so dealers. Generally speaking, there is enough supply to meet the demand. Of course whatever falls into this category should be in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, or repairs. Most vases that are worth this kind of money will be taller than six inches and be especially attractive and desirable. Pretty much all functioning lamps should be worth at least $5,000. Nightlights would traditionally be worth less money though. We should point out that for every item worth $15,000, there are probably another twenty items worth closer to $5,000.
Bowls, Boxes, Small Vases – $2,000 to $5,000
Pieces like this are relatively easy to value. Several dozen to hundreds of examples of each style are still available and held by collectors. The same style usually sells a couple of times a year, so pricing is fairly transparent. The high end of the range is typically filled with colorful but smaller vases. Bowls and boxes start at around $2,000 and can go up a little bit if they are especially attractive or well-executed. This is a good area for the starting collector, but nothing in this price point will be of much interest to advanced collectors. Don’t completely dismiss G. Argy-Rousseau art glass valued at less than $5,000 though. You can still find some beautiful pieces; it’s just that the upside for price appreciation is very low.
Pendants & Incomplete Pairs – $500 to 2,000
The only types of G. Argy Rousseau art glass that are going to consistently sell for less than $2,000 are pendants. The average price of a pendant is somewhere between $750 and $1,250. Plenty of other items that should be worth more money could ultimately be worth less than $2,000 for any number of reasons. A high end vase with a minor repairable chip could be valued in this price point. A lone shade or a lone base without a mate would be worth far less than the value of the complete lamp. The lid to a box might only sell for a few hundred dollars on its own.
Want to Know What Your Piece Is Worth?
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