How Much are antique Grandfather Clocks worth? Why are they called Grandfather Clocks?

Are they good investment today? I’ll show you my grandfather clock and tell you how much money I’ve made or lost! And, I bet you don’t know why they’re called Grandfather Clocks!
You can thank the Americans for coming up with that name…I’ll tell you all about it!
Antique Longcase / Grandfather clocks have been around for hundreds of years, but have their values collapsed and is now a good time to buy one?
Antique, or art related questions? Free advice from BBC TV’s David Harper!
Do you have an interesting collection of antiques to feature here on my channel?
Leave a comment, or email me here [e-mail]
www.david-harp...
Cheers, David Harper
#grandfatherclock #longcaseclock #david harper #bargain hunt #flog it #antiques road trip #Antiques roadshow #Buying antiques #HOW MUCH are Grandfather Clocks worth? Why are they called Grandfather & are they Good Investments? #Antique clocks #grandfather clock #grandfather clockshow much are grandfather clocks worth #antique grandfather clock #longcase clocks value #longcase clock worth today

[@louloumagoo2512]

Wonderfully, not everything needs to be measured by its value in money... Some things are so lovely, it's just a joy to own them, e.g., your clock. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

So true

[@user-fk2ds9sp5i]

I paid about $2,250 for mine 23 yrs ago and recently had it serviced for $900. I love to hear it strike…in my heart, it’s priceless.

[@victoriasun6386]

Nice clock where did you get this

[@bringit3164]

Wait, $900 just to service it? Please tell what was done to it...

[@robertadowns217]

It's a beautiful clock, and sometimes we buy things to appreciate and admire them. Never mind the loss just now, enjoy! Thanks David, very interesting...

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Yes, I still love it…in fact even more now, after re-looking at it closely after so many years!

[@hdjksa52]

I don't care that they are not as valuable as they used to be. I love the look of a grandfather clock. I purchased one this weekend.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Love to hear it

[@wayneheston-king341]

well that was a shock hope time will repay you David love the clock by the way

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

I think it will …eventuality!!

[@iluvmusicals21]

Lovely craftsmanship, unfortunately most folks don't appreciate and/or do not have room. Also, you mentioned earlier generations didn't know how to read a clock face, unbelievably that holds true today.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

I’d never even thought about that. I think you’re right. Kids don’t need to read clocks!!

[@jay3fox]

I have two Grandfather clocks both of which have been handed down to me. I love them and look after them as they have been put into trust and its my duty to preserve them. Also if you enjoy your grandfather clock it doesnt matter how much yuo spent on purchasing it 20 years ago. As long as it gives you joy then it doesn't matter if it goes down in price.

[@IamMrLebanon]

What an incredible piece of history. Some objects' value have so little to do with money . I am so glad I found your channel. You just gained a new subscriber! Thank you for the informative video! That was fascinating !

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Glad you enjoyed it and thank you. D

[@jamesward9369]

Great vidio...I have 36 running clocks in my house...3 of them are grandfarther clocks, they are well spread out around the house so it doesn't look cluttered and I love to hear them all...especially the grandfather clocks, it doesn't matter to me how much there worth... I just enjoy them.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

wonderful reply, thank you James

[@mickhughes9752]

Another fantastic video .so informative and such a pleasure to watch .keep em coming

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thank you Michael. D

[@raymondmumford6255]

Wow, love Grandfather clocks, actually all old clocks, especially old Cuckoo clocks ☺️ Love watching you on Bargain Hunt, and absolutely love your tight coloured pants 👖 🐍 So nice to find you on here. Love from Australia ☺️

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Cheers Raymond

[@BradfordNeedham]

Maintenance costs are another expense. Clockmaker's generally recommend oiling the movement every 3 years or so and cleaning (totally disassembling) the movement every 5 years or so. Clockmaking (clock repairing) is listed as endangered on the Red List of Endangered Crafts in the UK - that is, there aren't many people qualified to perform clock maintenance, so their services have increased in cost. As far as cost, cleaning a chiming grandfather clock can cost several hundred pounds. Without periodic oiling and cleaning, the clock movement wears, eventually stopping the clock.

[@chrisrivera3961]

dont know why but I have always liked the ticking sound of mechanical clocks, and always wanted a grandfather clock... will probably get one to put in my house lol.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Hey one while they’re still very very cheap!

[@shannoncausey9805]

Not always about the financial investment. If you enjoy owning the clock that's all that matters! I love mine

[@adriankingdon3055]

Good video. I recently offered a hand-painted clock face from a long case to a dealer, he wasn’t interested. Mantle clocks are the same, bought an Edwardian one at auction other day for £44. I could probably sell it for £35 but I reckon it’ll be worth £200 in seven years and in the meantime I can enjoy its chime.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Absolutely, they can only go up in value as people realise what value they are and how eco friendly too

[@beachbum4691]

What price seven years of delight???. I am also looking at buying an Edwardian or slightly later mantel clock; but I don't know what prices they could fetch in Australia where I live) :( just enjoy the delight of the thing; and see it as part of your gift to society. In time it will be bought by someone else who will enjoy the delight of the thing for all the years of their stewardship of it again for next to nothing???.

[@premierclocks]

Thank you for the video! It's very helpful. And the clock is beautiful

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Brilliant, thanks for the comment. D

[@michaelcase8574]

And the clock stoped, never to chime again, when the old man died! Great old song!

[@teepeewabbit]

A grandfather clock is still on my bucket list when my space allows, not only because I admire their form, but because of the memories of my grandparents’ clock when I was a wee lass. They had brought it over to Montreal when they emigrated from Edinburgh in the early 1900s. No doubt it had been handed down in the Dallas family for a few hundred years before that. Indeed, I have been known to overpay for many such treasures, for purely nostalgic reasons. Really enjoyed this episode David! PS. I wonder what the snake represents in the New World (America) section of your clock? Cheers from Oz, Shae

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thanks Shae, @originalnethead mentioned the snake below which I thought was interesting.

[@zigman3105]

Thats a weak bucket list

[@teepeewabbit]

@@zigman3105 okeydokey….🤔

[@SG-bt2mg]

You are meant for TV. Very engaging and charming guy.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thank you so much, that’s very kind

[@JJs_Horological_Collection]

I’ve seen you on antiques road trip I think!! Great video! I do like antique longcase clocks and I do eventually want to get one!

[@sjt609]

Beautiful clock! No doubt disappointing for you David, but hopefully the market will turn around. Take care, looking forward to Sunday afternoon.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thanks Susan. I don’t mind really, I like it even more now after making the video about it!!

[@ginob615]

My mother always said a house doesn't have a heart unless it has a clock. Priceless regardless of what others will pay for it. Antiques values are cyclical. Right now antiques are under appreciated and getting thrown out in favor for cheap modern works, ensuring a raise in antique values down the road.

[@juancarlos3348]

I met a Swiss guy who has collections of this kinda clock. His home is kind of antique clock museum. I was amazed to witness King Louise XVI standing or grandfather clock at the corner of his home. Bern is the city I visited.

[@louidog56]

Paid $150 for a solid cherry Ithaca tall case from 1908. Wood finials and no brass trim. It’s priceless in my book and I would never get rid of it.

[@Jules_Pew]

I think this video answered my question on another one of yours whether it's worth keeping one or not.

[@thetoycollectorofseville6428]

My grandma kept one in her house and it's still there. Seven years ago she passed away, but sometime I would like to bring the clock home with me all the way from Utah. When I was a kid, I would visit her house every six months and I would sit next to the clock and play with toys while I waited for it to chime. Being blind, I enjoy hearing the clock chime. I may not be able to enjoy the visual beauty, but I can still enjoy the sound it makes.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thank you for taking the time to comment. The chime of a clock can be so soothing and I know people who can’t sleep unless they can hear the ticking and the chiming of their clock! Same with people who live next door to church clocks. you tune unto the sound. Cheers, David

[@thetoycollectorofseville6428]

@@DavidHarperAntiques May I please hear what this clock's chime sounds like?

[@mikeriordan6940]

All the skills and hours that went into making that clock, something else that has gone up in value over the years would have been the bag of gold sovereigns I found about 60 years ago and my friends dad gave us threepence each, when I told my mum about them she went mad at me then decided to ask him about them to which he denied all knowledge, I suppose there must have been twenty or so sovereigns in that bag, it just shows you to take things home first, she would have handed them to the police in any case

[@chesterthawkins7510]

Your clock is a beauty! I have a c.1820 clock made in Philadelphia by John Wilbank.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thank you. your American clock will be worth more, as it’s much rarer

[@skiracer]

Dear David Harper, uber cool antique clock! My parents had an hexagonal wood "Regulator" wall clock that I couldn't stand listening to while trying to sleep at night. Too much tic toc tic toc got in my head. Pink Floyd. Thank you for the informative entertainment!

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Do you know that some people can’t sleep without the tick tic of a clock. They become so used to it, if the clock stops, they wake up!

[@wilddog73]

Listening for the local church bell is like the medieval version of atomic clocks. That's fun.

[@JackkkZB]

My grandma has a clock in her home that she has owned for her whole life, she got the clock from her mother, so my great grandma, and my grandma is pretty sure my great grandma got it from her mother. So if I were to estimate how old it is, I would say it’s over 120 years old

[@timpsk9440]

I’ve found the majority of the cheap clocks at auction are white dial late Georgian or Victorian country clocks that usually need quite a bit of expensive work doing to get them up and running. Sadly it’s often not worth the dealer’s while so they sell for about £100 for parts, such as the weights and bell, which have a secondhand value. There are plenty of better grandfather clocks are still selling for decent prices, such as brass dial clocks by interesting makers and anything early.

[@wanderwoman5558]

Great art isn't appreciated for its Value. It's value is the appreciation of Art.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Surprising or what?

[@Print229]

Just bought Elliott Of London tubular clock for $200. I am a bit worried about what it will cost to get it running, though. But if i do get it going, i am not going to sell it in my lifetime. It's sooo beautiful. ❤

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Wonderful

[@erichansen7161]

I replace and bevel glass for antique clock's. I might be one of the last glass replacement shops around. the demand for that kind of work is dropping fast. When I go to a clock show I buy clock's for 10to50 dollars and there nice clock's. I give them to young people and tell them there better than solor because they never wear out and they take no power..I'm hoping young fokes will bring a comeback to clock's. Thank you for the show.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thank you Eric, please keep up the good work. Cheers, David

[@lawrencea2023]

Does the grandfather clock tick and strike

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

It hasn’t for a long time, but wouldn’t take much to get it going again

[@nintendy]

Why does everyone talk of value and investment? If I owned a Clock like that - I .wouldn’t give a hoot how much I paid - to what it was worth today, because I would have purchased it because I wanted it! It would still mean the same value to me - because I love it and would want to keep owning it! I’d never purchase anything for an investment. Of course if it ended up being worth more some time later - tat would be a bonus - but frankly, I wouldn’t care... The kind of person who needs to purchase to make money as an investment probably couldn’t afford it in the first place... I’m sure you still love it - and so why the tears? Just enjoy owning what you purchased because you liked it - and not because of its market value in the present. I love and collect Gramophones for example. I’ve often purchased some that I’ve paid a lot for - some I know have overpaid - but I don’t care, because I love them, and therefore would never sell them, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought them in the first place... . If they ever become worthless - it wouldn’t bother me a jot...

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

In a perfect world, everything you say would be true, but with art and antiques, money, investment value will always play a role. Not unlike property

[@nintendy]

@@DavidHarperAntiques Agreed - but if I was buying something for any kind of investment, it wouldn’t be something I particularly liked, as I’d be reluctant or upset at selling it anyway. But I do see what you mean. 🙂

[@rex2d292]

I found someone throwing a grandfather clock away, I nabbed it. And now it sits in my garage… this was literally two days ago since I got this clock,

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

That’s a great find!

[@rex2d292]

@@DavidHarperAntiques lol yeah, only bad part is that I couldn’t find the weights… so uh…. I may have improvised…..

[@jrbs]

They're lovely, but the cost of overhaul is prohibitive

[@phillipsugwas]

Amortise that over the +/- 8 year interval between services.

[@kevinwallis2194]

My thinking as to why prices haved dropped, is a bit different, at least here in america. You have to factor in 1, the younger generation has cell phones that tell the time and you dont have to wind a cell phone. 2, the cost to get one serviced outweighs the value of the clocks unless its a high end piece. I have 3 of that vintage and got them with other clocks in a package deal for 1200 dollars. The deal came with 3 other late 1800s grandfathers and 15 other clocks some OG and assorted gingerbread and mantle clocks.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Yes, I think the same reasons here, but blimey they’re good value for money!

[@sooth15]

Your clock is slightly later than 1820. It has a "late" period 3 white dial. Period one had outer minute markings every 5 minutes around the outside, period 2 had markings every 15 minutes, and period three have no outer minute marks (just the track with 12 roman numerals). Period 3 is also common for having corners that join together, where earlier white dial spandrels did not touch. Period 3 is about 1840-1870. It's a beautiful piece. It's sad that the prices on them and interest has declined steeply.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Thank you for the extra information, much appreciated. D

[@JANGLEPOP1]

Nice video David. I have always wanted one as even as a child I found them fascinating and beautiful. Now I can afford one I don't have the space to display it! And to be even more "perverse" I want a Victorian one in dark wood with the door engraved! About as popular as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip..but I love it!

[@The2Coolest2]

I just found a Howard Miller presidential clock being thrown out by my neighbor.

[@powerbookg4apple]

I’ve just bought a fully serviced early 1900,s Georgian grand father clock for £600 with delivery my issue hunting for one was height I was restricted to max height 80 inches plus I wanted one I could turn off the chime when I needed to I can’t wait for it to arrive I will admire it for years

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Incredible value

[@donaldasayers]

I collect clocks, so I had noticed the price of longcase clocks and the rock bottom prices at auction. Unfortunately I no not have enough house to put a Longcase clock in and the walls are full of regulator clocks. So you lost £1000 in 20 years, but it has given you 20 years of pleasure for only £50 a year. I've wasted much more on money-pit cars that gave far less pleasure.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Good point and I waste money on cars as well!

[@kevinwallis2194]

I have a twin to that clock. face is a tad bit different, but the case ia almost the same.

[@MarkSmith-nw4os]

My grandfather Carl kept these old clocks. He would blow graphite into them for lubrication. I have 7 key wind clocks. The oldest being 50 years.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Love that, thank you

[@brianmeek5236]

I detest electric and battery clocks I really like my 2 ogee weight driven clocks wind them every day,they are tuned and match my cell phone time

[@Freestyler4130]

They probably arent worth much in these days … but i have to say i miss in my parents house hearing it chime

[@stuartforsyth4279]

Hello David, as the clock is made by Robert Murray and seems to depict aspects of the empire and around that time Glasgow was considered the second city of the empire, would it be possible that your clock might have been shipped to some far flung corner with some colonial family then returned at some point?

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Brilliant observation Stuart. How interesting to think that might have been the case. D

[@beachbum4691]

@@DavidHarperAntiques (very punny) ;)

[@chris-the-bodge-sculptor]

I lost a ton of money on mine lol .. but these prices are a bargain! I want more 🙂

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

So right. They need to be bought and stored for a while!

[@chris-the-bodge-sculptor]

@@DavidHarperAntiques , thanks for replying! I love your work on the tv 👍🙂

[@dcunited710]

Are Tempus Fugit grandfather clocks worth a price of $150?

[@NinoNiemanThe1st]

It's extraordinary how 'cheap' antique things like this beautiful clock are now. Antiques have been out of fashion for 20 years, and you can even get quality Victorian silverware for bargain basement prices at the moment, almost less than the melted down silver worth! But those prices will come back: the craftmanship of these old pieces will be valued again, as people move on from wanting mid-century clean lines things, and even the temporary obsession with art-deco stuff. Now is the time to buy antiques, ignore the Vogue Living/reality TV house design shows on at the moment, the antiques time will come again - get in on the ground floor, because you can't get past the craftsmanship!

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

You’re so right…now is the time to buy these things!

[@aranyakm]

300 to 400 pounds? For a work of art like this? The world must be crazy!

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Certainly is! But it seems like not many people know about it!

[@beautifulsmall]

Ceilings too low in many modern houses. Luckily my 1950 ceiling just clears my Alan Timmins 8 day GFC.

[@joetotale6354]

David, can we be sure there will ever be an upturn in those prices though?

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Yes, it’s happening now Neil. Prices are beginning to rise across the board for antique furniture. Good Georgian chests and 19th century leather upholstery as examples, but clocks are coming along!

[@joetotale6354]

@@DavidHarperAntiques This all sounds as arcane and unpredictable as crypto currency trading! Is it possible to discern why the tide has turned on these items, David?

[@adriankingdon3055]

@@joetotale6354 not as unpredictable as crypto as you have a tangible piece at the end to appreciate. If this earth keeps turning long enough and electric cars and the metaverse become the norm, antiques are going to skyrocket, (and a fire-breathing incredibly noisy skyrocket at that), in value.

[@SantaBarbaraBiking]

@@adriankingdon3055 Yes, people will either go fully into the metaverse or the opposite. The people that like tangibles are going to scoop up all antiques and they will continue to go up in price.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

@@joetotale6354 simple as fashions Neil. But, people are finally coming around again to appreciating beautifully made objects, not throw away ones…all antiques are eco too!

[@thetoycollectorofseville6428]

May I please hear what this clock sounds like?

[@stormchasingk9]

Ridgeway Westminster Chime moon dial grandfather clock in 1980: $2,400 Flee market: $350. Still works beautifully. Glad they don't hold their value. Let's poorer people like me afford them.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

I like your thinking…always a silver lining!

[@finhas8865]

So, the clock is already 200+ years old?

[@zigman3105]

1500 Lbs. That must be heavy

[@dennistackett9755]

Would it be worth it to buy a nice one for 750 dollars?

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

absolutely, they’re remarkable value for money

[@rdaws73]

Good thing I dont intend to ever sell

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Good idea!

[@blumobean]

I will buy the clock for 200-500 pounds right now.

[@ferraridinoman]

Young David is Spot on here! Buy when the market is FLAT/DOWN!!. As an example buy "Quality" currently unfashionable antique dark furniture. At the moment its cheap (good value! ha ha!) and WILL only go up in value. Nice one Young David!

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

You’re so right there… it’s on its way as we speak!!

[@mickfromaustralia902]

@@DavidHarperAntiques Smiling oh so benignly at the reference to "Young David", bless.

[@Mark-Singleton]

In 2023 they are cheaper than ever

[@KevinAmatt]

If the clock is made by a London maker it will be worth a lot more. Also in the early 18th century clock makers asked cabinet makers if they could make the cabinet for their clocks. But the clock makers didn’t like the price. So they built the cabinets themselves. Consequently the build quality was very poor. If you find an 18th century clock and it has a good cabinet then it’s probably a reproduction.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Good info, thanks Kevin. D

[@TobiasBirch-oo1bf]

I'm sorry this is simply not correct, you state, 'If you find an 18th century clock and it has a good cabinet then it’s probably a reproduction.' In the last 30 years all of the 18th century longcase clocks I have sold had the original cases. And they were not made by the clockmakers, they were made by amazing cabinet makers.

[@TobiasBirch-oo1bf]

@@DavidHarperAntiques Not goof info!

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

Here's a video of an early rendition (1916) of the song "My Grandfather's Clock". It's a bit crackly but is quaint. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eILXYn93pbWnprc

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

wonderful, thank you

[@wincrasher2007]

anything traditional is completely out of fashion now. eventually, appreciation for antiques and traditional things will come back

[@OriginalNethead]

I had a feeling you lost a packet on that clock, or would if it were going to be sold.(sigh) Yours isn't though; it's going to be lived with so the current price tag isn't that important. Kids these days don't read dial clocks because they don't know how; it's all digital on their phones. (arggh) Some can't read script either; they've never had to learn! (double ARGGGH) BTW - short-case clocks sometimes get called Grandmother clocks in the USA because the tall case is the Grandfather clock. BTW - is it me, or does that "elephant" on the clock more closely resemble a warthog? The snake on the American side might be a Copperhead, a scathing Northern reference to Northerners who wanted immediate peace with the South...and who often had business and personal ties to the UK. (can we say cotton trade?)

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Interesting stuff. It’s amazing to me that some kids can’t read clocks today. In many ways, we seem to be going backwards and not forwards!

[@teepeewabbit]

Brilliant deduction on the snake!

[@josephtaylor6285]

More like 1830-40

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Does it make much difference?

[@josephtaylor6285]

@@DavidHarperAntiques yes it does. Georgian clocks had (generally) better made movements with thicker plates and to collectors, finer less blocky silhouettes. In America too, a signed colonial period or Federal period tall clock fetches a higher price than later “Victorian” period pieces with movements that suffered from cost cutting measures and cases that were less restrained in design. This is reflected in auction prices today.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

@@josephtaylor6285 This is definitely not a Victorian clock, but very good information, thank you. D

[@robertcorradi8573]

Your missing the point my friend ...... You buy something because you like it. That's it .

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

I agree, but that’s not the point of the video!

[@C_HILL_OUT]

My grandfather had an E Howard grandfather clock that he had for many years. He had about $3k in it. It sold in 2008 for $220k

[@blumobean]

I have clocks in my home that $1000 won't even touch. My wifes family has a clock that had to be shortened in order to fit in a rather high ceiling. The door that covers the weights has 3 holes in it. The Yankees thought that someone might be hiding inside, so the rammed a bayonet through it. How much do you think they would sell it for?

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

Historically the bayoneted clock is very interesting - worth more due to that I’d say than if it wasn’t stabbed! You should get in touch with your local auction. If it’s sold with its back story, let me know , we could do a filmed zoom chat about it

[@blumobean]

@@DavidHarperAntiques Sorry, that clock is not for sale. Unlike my family, that lost everything in the Civil War, that family retained their wealth. The clock is magnificent and huge. Because of the back story, I believe it would auction at a supreme price.

[@Ailsworth]

Ninety years without slumbering!

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

I have an antique Junghans pendulum wall clock. It's worth nothing financially but is so lovely to have in the house. I just wish I knew where to take it to get it serviced. I'm in Yorkshire UK.

[@DavidHarperAntiques]

‘The Collector’ in Barnard Castle will service it, but you’ll have someone closer if you Google search

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

@@DavidHarperAntiques Roughly how much does a service cost on something like that? £50? £150? more?