Tiffany's Kingdom: The Most Expensive Vases Ever Been On Antiques Roadshow!

It got it at a yard sale, and it was probably only 25 or 50 cents. So this is a work by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. It is a work of enamel on copper. Now Louis Comfort Tiffany first went into business in the 1870s, and he's most known for his leaded glass windows, his stained glass lamps, works of blown for real glass. But what he's lesser known for are these works of enamel. A striking piece that reveals Tiffany's genius beyond his world-famous stained glass windows and lamps. The process was painstaking. First the copper body was repousse, hammered from behind to create the raised mushroom forms. Then, Tiffany's enamelists carefully applied powdered glass, choosing colors that would best highlight the design. The piece was fired, fusing the glass to the copper, and locking in those rich, jewel-like tones. It was a challenging technique Tiffany explored for years. Guided by his chief chemist, Dr. Parker McElhenney, and a small team of skilled female artisans, these enamel creations made their dazzling debut at the 1900 Paris Exposition, where critics praised their innovation and artistry. Tiffany produced them in various sizes, with this petite cabinet-sized example among the smallest. Despite its modest scale, it radiates extraordinary quality, instantly recognizable to any seasoned appraiser. In its small stature, it packs a huge punch. And when I saw you bring this out, I sort of jumped over my colleague to meet with you because I recognized instantly the quality of these enamels. Back in its own era, such a vase might have cost between $10 and $300. Today, however, its value has skyrocketed. I think today, conservatively, this would be expected to bring anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000 at auction. Oh my goodness. That's just a little more than I anticipated. And I just use it to collect feathers in. Every so often on Antiques Roadshow, a collection surfaces that seems almost too good to be true. That was the case when a guest arrived with an entire shipping crate, once packed by Tiffany Studios itself, complete with its original straw padding still inside. My aunt started buying up these vases from Tiffany's, so I guess she ordered some by the crate load. It actually says Louis C. Tiffany Studios with an address. The crate in itself, it's something you don't see very often, with glass plastered all over the sides. It's not often that people keep the shipping crates. The first piece of glass over here, which is what we would call pastel glass, is later production Tiffany. It was made in the 20s. It was made in multiples, and it came in different colors. These are the colors that you see in some of the depression glass of the era, but this was a lot more expensive than your average piece of depression glass. Among the treasures was a paperweight glass vase, an experimental line Tiffany developed around 1914. According to accounts from Tiffany's own workshop, Louis Comfort Tiffany challenged his artisans to recreate the beauty of morning glories from one of his paintings in glass. The effort reportedly cost $12,000 in research and development, a staggering sum at the time. This particular vase was stamped as an exhibition piece and carried a date code linking it to around 1915, possibly even displayed at the San Francisco International Exposition. You may have seen vases like this. They're in many museums all over the world. I think I saw one at the Met in New York. Yes. And the one at the Met has a number on the bottom which is 1130L. Yours is 1132L, so this is two numbers after the Met's vase. Then came the showstopper, a Tiffany lava vase. Inspired by the molten, flowing textures of volcanic rock, these pieces are among the rarest and most technically difficult works ever produced at the studio. Many cracked during firing, but this flawless survivor mirrors an example exhibited in Paris in 1906 and preserved ever since in a French museum. Values told the rest of the story. The crate, in a retail setting, this is something for Tiffany geeks everywhere, and it would be worth between $5,000 and $10,000. Holy cow. This piece would retail probably between $2,000 and $3,000, but this piece, in a retail shop, it could be sold for anywhere between $50,000 and $75,000. No way. Oh my gosh. I was thinking maybe $8,000 to $10,000. I was hoping. An example like this, in a retail shop, could sell between $100,000 and $150,000. We're with my brother here. Wow. That's unbelievable. I had no idea. I just can't believe that your aunt bought all of this in the late 20s and the early 30s. It's pretty remarkable. Some antiques hold beauty. Others hold stories. But this vase carries both in remarkable measure. It belonged to my great-grandmother, who was a New Yorker. She lived in Dobbs Ferry and then Woodwinter in Manhattan, staying at the Waldorf. It was handed down from her to my grandmother and then to me. Created in 1926 by Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces in Keith, the vase is a product of Tiffany's own artistic enterprises, not the more familiar Tiffany and Company, jewelry brand founded by his father. By the mid-1920s, Tiffany's glass studios were nearing the end of their production, but they continued to experiment boldly. Many designs never reached success, yet this vase is evidence of true innovation. The work is crafted from case glass, meaning multiple layers were fused to create its striking depth. The interior glows with a brownish cherry tone, while the outer surface, softened with a matte finish, suggests the swirling textures of polished agate. It is very difficult to see, but it's signed with a number and then the suffix letter N and then L.C. Tiffany Inc. Favreau. That is an indication of the time period during the 1920s. That's actually, they put an ink in the signature. Its earthy, almost ceramic appearance is deceptive. This is not pottery, but fine art glass, never intended to hold flowers. Instead, it was conceived as a luxury object, a testament to Tiffany's devotion to artistry over utility. In a retail venue, I could see this selling for between $30,000 and $50,000. Oh my God. Wow. I had no idea. I think it's really lucky that you were named Tiffany. Not after the jewelry store, after the family dog that was named after the jewelry store. At first glance, this vase might strike some as a bit over the top. Even its owner admitted they thought it was ugly. But beneath that eccentric exterior lies one of the most historically significant Tiffany creations ever to appear on Antiques Roadshow. I got it from my uncle's aunt. She lived in Chicago. That's about all I know about it. Well, you know a little more. You know who made it. Yeah, it's on the bottom. Yes, and what does it say? Tiffany and Company. The piece is crafted from sterling silver, but what truly sets it apart is the dazzling layer of enamel and the setting of vibrant American stones, including turquoise. The level of ornamentation feels bold, almost extravagant, which makes sense once its origin was uncovered. This was no ordinary Tiffany vase, but one produced specifically for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. That World's Fair, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage, was a showcase of American ingenuity and artistry, and Tiffany and Company was determined to make a statement. Under Charles Tiffany's leadership… And when you turn it over, down here at the very bottom of the mark, there is a globe with a T superimposed on it. I saw the T. And a little tiny line in the middle that says Tiffany, and that was the exhibition signature for pieces in the World's Fair. So your great aunt must have had some very special friend that gave it to her. Wow. Or one of her husbands, maybe? Maybe. Okay, well… There were several, yes. While the guest inherited it through family ties in Chicago, its presence near the fairgrounds was no coincidence. The Columbian Exposition drew millions of visitors and forever elevated Tiffany's reputation as a premier name in decorative arts. In today's market, sterling silver alone might place its value in the tens of thousands. But with its lavish enameling gemstone inlay and direct connection to America's most famous fair, the vase stands in a class of its own. With all the enameling and everything else, an auction value on this piece in today's market, which is a little conservative, I would say $50,000 to $100,000. Oh, my… You're kidding. No. Do you still think it's ugly? Yes. Excuse me, how much? $50,000 to $100,000. Okay. But it's still ugly. I brought this, I guess it's a vase, that was my best guess, that I got from an estate sale in Orlando. How recently did you get it? I think it was January. Okay. And what attracted you to this piece? I just thought it was really unusual. I like the colors and I thought the metal details on the outside was pretty unusual. Did you pay a lot for this? I did not. I paid $75. I didn't think that was too much. I thought it was very pretty. No, it really wasn't too much, actually. Oh, well, good. When people think of Lewis Comfort Tiffany, their minds usually go straight to his glowing stained glass windows and lamps. Yet pottery was also a key chapter in Tiffany Studios' story. At first, Tiffany collaborated with American Potteries to produce lamp bases. But by 1903, he was determined to create his own. By 1904, the studio's production expanded into full-fledged art pottery, exploring new forms, glazes, and surface treatments. This particular vase, dating to around 1905, stands out not only for its high-fired glaze, reminiscent of Chinese porcelain, but also for its intricate bronze mount. The leaves and berries encircling the body weren't mass-cast, but meticulously cut from sheet metal, soldered together, and plated directly onto the pottery. This makes it one of the earliest and rarest examples of Tiffany's bronze-mounted ceramics, a labor-intensive process later abandoned for more efficient methods. There's a sticker on the underside, which is the Tiffany Studio sticker. It actually says glass on it, but that's typical. The stickers only say glass on them, even though this is pottery. Now, there's another mark where it says BP 522 L.C. Tiffany Favreau, and that is typical. You would find this on a piece of bronze pottery. The subtle depth of Tiffany's pottery glazes with the shimmer and structure of bronze ornamentation. As an unmounted vase, it would already hold a retail value. What makes it valuable is the work on it, and the work on it makes this piece a retail value would be $9,000 to $12,000. Wow. So, you did really well. Wow, that's much more than $75. Thank you for bringing such a great piece. I really, when I saw it, I went, ah! Well, thank you. I'm extremely happy. Sometimes family lore turns into treasure, and in this case, the story was almost unbelievable. My family acquired this through my great-aunts and uncle that lived in Norwalk, and when Tiffany Factory shut down, what we have heard is that they bought two barrels of Tiffany. So, there's a large collection, this is just part of it, and we have divided it among our family, my sisters and myself, and I have brought in four pieces that I really love. One of the earliest examples was a paperweight glass vase from around 1900 to 1903. These works were heavy, transparent, and richly decorated, often serving as prototypes. This particular vase bore the rare V prefix, a mark used for fewer than a thousand pieces, and displayed delicate vines and blossoms that seemed to float in water, an effect that made it utterly unique. The other selections dated to the late 1920s, when Tiffany explored pastel glass. Yet even within this line, the workshop pushed boundaries. A bowl combined pastel with paperweight techniques, embedding pink morning glories into the glass while adding pulled knobs for texture. A second vase, shaped like a calyx with three flattened sides, proved striking in miniature form, small but refined. I would say that this particular piece, I would put a value of $4,000 to $5,000 on it. This piece, I would say $5,000 to $7,000. This piece, $6,000 to $8,000. And this piece, $25,000 to $30,000. So the total for the group ranges from $40,000 to $50,000 retail. That's lovely. They're beautiful. About a year and a half ago, I was driving in the morning. I left to get a cup of coffee, and I saw a sign for a garage sale. It was about 7.30 in the morning. The lady was still unpacking some of the boxes. She was taking out this taller piece, and I directly was attracted to it, the form and the color. I knew it was something special. And I asked her how much she wants for it, and she said $50. And she told me, I have two other pieces if you're interested. And she pulled out those other two pieces. Now I didn't have enough cash with me, and she reserved them for me. I went to the bank, grabbed $150, gave her the money, and took them with me home. The tallest vase revealed its secret only under close inspection. A faint LCT signature with an M-prefix code, dating it firmly between 1898 and 1899-1900, when Tiffany's company was still known as the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. Its shape, rounded at the base with leafy extensions, was inspired by ancient forms known as an Egyptian onion vase. Tiffany, fascinated by the glass of antiquity, often reimagined classical shapes for the modern era, blending history with innovation. Remarkably, this example survived in pristine condition, free from the calcium deposits that often mar such vessels. The other two vases turned out to be equally impressive, crafted by Lowitz around 1905-1910. Though unsigned, their vivid iridescence and organic forms left little doubt about their origin. One, with its flowing blue hues and oil-like splotches, carried the playful spirit of Art Nouveau, while the second showcased pinched contours and delicate, lappet-like decorations that suggest lily pads or tadpoles. Each vase commanded serious value in today's market. This one in a retail venue would sell for between $1,500 and $2,000. Okay. This one also has a pinched form with consistent decoration. This one would sell in a retail venue for $3,000 to $5,000. Wow. In a retail venue, this would sell between $6,000 and $8,000. Wow. Wow. Oh, I'm shocked. The total for the three vases in a retail venue would be $10,500 to $15,000. Wow. I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. Some Tiffany creations shimmer with brilliance, others glow with subtlety, but few capture history the way Cypriot glass does. Inspired by the look of ancient Roman glass unearthed after centuries underground, Louis Comfort Tiffany developed this line to evoke the mystery of antiquity. I got it from my mother's family probably 30 years ago. I really know nothing about it. What have you been doing with it all these years? Sitting in a curio cabinet just so my children and grandchildren wouldn't break it because I like it. It's just unusual. Its surface tells the story. Rough, pitted, and irregular, designed to mimic the chemical weathering seen on excavated Roman vessels. The technique behind it was anything but accidental. According to Tiffany's own craftsman, molten glass was rolled across a marver table, sprinkled with crushed shards, reheated, and then blown into its final form. The result was a layered, time-worn texture that looked as though it had already survived centuries beneath the earth. The earlier pieces were purple, gold, blue, and sometimes even a little green in the surface. The other thing that's unusual about this is it has a clear bottom that's been applied, a clear foot. The other two pieces that I've seen didn't have this applied foot. The suffix P in its inscription places its creation squarely between 1926 and 1929 during Tiffany Studios' final decade of experimentation. Collectors today prize Cypriot glass both for its artistry and for its rarity. In today's market, something like this would be $25,000 in a retail store. Maybe I better insure it. That's probably an excellent idea. I bought this Tiffany vase. It belonged to my mother. She collected antiques for many years, and this was one of her first pieces of Tiffany. She bought it sometime in the 1970s. She bought it from an antique dealer here in Connecticut. Not every Tiffany vase dazzles with flamboyant color or bold experimentation. Some speak more softly, carrying with them the history of Tiffany's earliest ventures into art glass. This double gourd form, dating to around 1895, is one such piece. Its significance lies in the details beneath the surface, quite literally. Instead of the familiar LCT signature, this vase bears only a small O followed by a four-digit number, part of a numbering system Tiffany used between 1895 and 1900. Roughly 10,500 objects were catalogued this way, making it one of Tiffany's first organized production methods. Early researchers once speculated that the O meant special order, but the sheer volume of pieces disproves that theory. In truth, these numbers mark the beginnings of Tiffany's identity as a glassmaker. The vase itself showcases the studio's early experiments with iridescence. Though more restrained than later favoral masterpieces, its surface carries hints of feathering and soft sheen, a glimpse into Tiffany's evolving artistry. Have you ever had it appraised, or did your mother ever update anything on this? My mother had it appraised in the early 1980s for $3,500. There are now more and more collectors who really want to specialize in just the early pieces, particularly from the 1890s. So the price for these has appreciated. If this were in a retail shop today, it would easily sell for between $9,000 and $12,000. Wow. It's a lovely piece of glass. My mom had wonderful taste. Some Tiffany treasures come from auctions or estates, but others turn up in the most unexpected places, like garage sales. That was the case with these two iridescent vases, both gifts from a devoted Tiffany collector to her daughter-in-law. Each piece tells a different story about Tiffany's artistry in the early 20th century. The first, dating to around 1915, belongs to Tiffany's more commercially produced lines. Made in greater numbers, it features a glowing, favoral surface with a delicate vine and leaf pattern, its iridescence shimmering under light. The second vase, however, is far rarer. Shaped in a calyx form, its elongated cup and flaring rim echoing the structure of a flower, it dates back to 1903. Unlike the commercial pieces, these calyx vases were produced in limited numbers, elevating them into the realm of true art objects. Their organic design places them firmly within the spirit of Art Nouveau, where natural form and elegance merged seamlessly. Now, what did she tell you about value? I think she said around $200. $200. Well, this particular piece would be $6,000. What? Nice gift. Wow. The calyx piece would be $7,500. And those are retail values. Whoa. Oh, my goodness. I saw them at a house sale. I was paying for another piece. In fact, I'd just finished paying for it. And I saw them sitting on a windowsill, and the light shined through one of them, and I was thinking I needed a red vase. So I went back and went over and looked at them and ended up picking them up and saw the signature on them, and it says Tiffany. I don't know whether they're really Tiffany or not really Tiffany, but I thought they were very pretty red vases that I needed for flowers. Dating from around 1920, these are Favrel glass vases, a hallmark of Louis Comfort Tiffany's genius. The term Favrel, patented by Tiffany himself, refers to glass with an iridescent surface, alive with shimmering tones that change as light moves across it. These examples display all the hallmarks of authenticity, cased glass construction, delicate striations within the body, and lustrous, iridized feet that ground their graceful forms. The red hue makes them especially desirable. Red Favrel was notoriously difficult to produce, requiring rare materials and precise firing conditions. This challenge meant that fewer red pieces were made, and today, collectors prize them among Tiffany's most alluring creations. Because you have a wonderful eye for glass. And these are, in fact, Tiffany. Oh, my goodness. And they're worth $10,000 to $15,000 retail for the pair. Are you serious? I am serious. Oh, my goodness. I am serious. I think I better take the $10 tag off. I cannot believe it. Not all masterpieces emerge unscathed from history, and this Tiffany vase tells a story of both brilliance and fragility. So, tell me where this came from. I inherited it from my paternal grandparents, who inherited it from their employer when he died, and they received all of his personal property. So, it's been in your family for how many years? About 64 years. 64 years. What they received was no ordinary decorative object. It was a rare paperweight vase from the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. Paperweight vases are among Tiffany's most technically challenging works. Layers of colored glass were encased within clear walls, creating a sense of depth that made vines and leaves appear suspended, as though floating in water. The process gave these pieces their name, since they echoed the beauty of traditional glass paperweights, but on a grander, more sculptural scale. The result was heavy, so much so that this example has been compared to the weight of a bowling ball, nearly nine or ten pounds in hand. Unfortunately, time has not been entirely kind. The vase bears what's known as a maker's crack, a fissure formed during production, along with internal sickness, milky discoloration caused by age and chemical reactions. It would ruin the value completely with this kind of issue. This piece is still worth $3,000 to $5,000. Great. In perfect condition, this would be worth $80,000. Wow. This had been given to either my grandmother or an aunt by a male suitor, who led it to have worked for Tiffany. This flower-form vase, created around 1915, belongs to the latter category. But even in altered form, it still carries the unmistakable touch of Tiffany Studios. Originally, it would have stood as a complete work of glass art, a delicate stem leading into a flaring blossom, echoing the natural grace of a flower. Such vases were part of Tiffany's celebrated flower-form series, where the glass itself mimicked nature in both shape and movement. Each example was slightly different. A handmade interpretation of petals, stems, and blossoms. This one, however, did not survive intact. At some point in its journey, the stem was broken away, leaving only the flower-shaped upper portion. Rather than discard it, someone ingeniously salvaged the piece by fitting it into a bronze base, transforming the fragment into a functional decorative object. So what you have here is we've made lemonade out of lemons. And the value of this would be around $700 retail. If it were the whole piece, it would be $1,500 to $2,000. Some Tiffany vases sparkle with iridescence, while others tell quieter stories steeped in history. This example, dating to 1913, belongs to the Tell el Amarna line, a series inspired by the rediscovery of ancient Egyptian glass at the archaeological site of Amarna in the 19th century. Louis Comfort Tiffany, fascinated by antiquity, sought to reimagine those millennia-old forms for a modern audience. My mother remarried, and this was in the household, and when her husband passed away, it went to her, and when she passed away, it went to me. It has Tiffany on the bottom. I'm not sure if it's a Tiffany, because I watched the roadshow enough that they look at the bottom and they say that's not a real Tiffany. You were right. It absolutely is a piece of Tiffany glass. Oh. And it is true that a signature is the easiest thing to fake, and it's always the piece that you look at first. The vase carries the hallmark characteristics of the style, a bold turquoise body accented with zigzag decoration at the collar, echoing ancient motifs. Sometimes these pieces featured interlocking chain-like patterns as well, but even in their simplicity, they conveyed a direct link to the past. Tiffany's genius lay in transforming these archaeological references into art glass that felt both timeless and new. On the underside, the piece bears a suffix letter, H, confirming its date of around 1913. Earlier Tell El Amarna examples, produced when the line was first introduced in 1909, typically carried an E. This later designation places it within the mature years of Tiffany's experimentation, when his studios were still producing innovative designs despite nearing the end of their golden era. Condition, however, plays a role in its story. A white residue inside suggests sediment, possibly from use or perhaps from the firing process itself. I would say that in a retail venue, because it does have the white stuff on the inside, I would say it's worth between $2,000 and $3,000. Now, if it didn't have the white stuff on the inside, I would put a value probably between $8,500 and $9,500. So it does affect it to some degree. By the way, there's something on the inside here. It's a matchbox. Yes, it's a matchbox book. Yes, nothing to do with Tiffany. I actually spoke to somebody in collectibles, and it doesn't have any value because the matches are all gone, by the way. Well, I was smoking at that time. I'm not anymore. My grandfather gave them to me about 20 years ago. He had had them in his family a long time. His parents bought them. I remember them being in my grandparents' house when I was growing up, and now they're in my house. The first vase dates to around 1895, shortly after Tiffany opened his glass furnaces in 1893. Those early years were marked by both triumph and hardship. Within months, a devastating fire nearly destroyed the fledgling workshop. Yet Tiffany rebuilt, and by 1894 his furnaces roared back to life, producing experimental works like this one. Signed with L. C. Tiffany Favreau and numbered without prefixes or suffixes, it bears the hallmarks of Tiffany's earliest production. The second vase tells the opposite end of the story. Created in the 1920s, as Tiffany Studios edged toward closure, it reflects the more commercial direction of the company's later years. Time, however, has left its mark. Overzealous cleaning stripped away much of its original finish, revealing copper beneath what once gleamed in statuary bronze tones. I would put a retail price of $3,000 to $4,000 on it. And then this one, were it in good shape, I would have said maybe $1,500 to $2,000. But because of the condition, I would say more than $500 to $800. Every Tiffany story isn't about a dazzling six-figure treasure. Sometimes it's about the quieter side of his artistry. Some years ago I helped a friend of mine care for his aged mother, and to thank me, she gave me this piece. While Tiffany is immortalized for his stained-glass windows and favoral glass creations, he also experimented in clay. Beginning in the early 20th century, his studios produced a limited line of pottery, often incorporating unusual glazes and finishes that reflected his fascination with texture and natural form. Unlike the glowing iridescence of his glass, these works carried an earthier beauty, bridging the gap between fine art and craft. Because pottery was never produced in large quantities at his workshops, surviving examples are relatively rare, appealing to collectors who appreciate Tiffany's full range of artistic exploration. Though not valued in the tens of thousands like his iconic glass lamps or enamel pieces, this vase still carries prestige. We don't see a lot of it. We think that probably a high market value on it would be around $2,000. Oh, that's very nice. In the 1930s, my parents went to an estate sale in New Haven, Connecticut, and they bought it. And I know that they didn't pay much money for it because they didn't have any money. It's been in the family for over 60 years. Created around 1914, it belongs to a short-lived series known as Tiffany's Aquamarine Glass. The idea was to mimic the look of seawater, fluid, translucent, alive with subtle depth. Early pieces often incorporated aquatic motifs like seaweed, shells, or fish, while later examples like this one introduced delicate floral designs into the watery illusion. The effect was unlike anything else in the glass world, so distinctive that even though the vase carries Tiffany's familiar L.C. Tiffany Favreau signature, experts can confirm authenticity by the very technique itself. Although the piece is signed, doesn't always mean that it is Tiffany, but only Tiffany made aquamarine glass. It was such a difficult technique that no one has been able to replicate it. This was very costly to make because a lot of the pieces broke. The cost of failure was so high that only a limited number were ever produced. At the time, such pieces sold for $200 to $250, already a significant sum in the 1910s. Your piece of glass is worth between $30,000 and $40,000. Pretty good. What once cost only a few dollars at an estate sale stands revealed as a shimmering masterpiece, Tiffany's vision of the sea captured forever in glass. I went to one of my local thrift stores like I normally do, and it was on the shelf. I picked it up, put it back down, picked it up again, and I saw the L.C.T. on the bottom, which I knew was Lewis Comfort Tiffany, and the price was 99 cents, so at 99 cents I couldn't lose. Dating to around 1905, the piece represents Tiffany's short-lived but fascinating venture into pottery. This particular vase, only 6 inches tall, carries the whimsical nickname of the Peapod form. Its surface is finished with illustrious glaze, blending earthy greens with deep red tones. While much of Tiffany's pottery was left unglazed to highlight form, this example showcases the richness of color that his studios could achieve when experimenting with surface treatments. On its underside, the markings confirm its authenticity. L.C. Tiffany Favrel, along with the elusive L.C.T. stamp partially hidden beneath glaze. It's relatively rare and very collectible. People are really excited to find it, even a small piece like this. You've looked a little, trying to determine value. But I couldn't find any real value for it. Well, I talked to some colleagues. We feel like a retail value on this piece is $5,000 to $7,000. Really? Really. Thank you. If you enjoyed this deep dive, you'll love our dedicated video on Louis Comfort Tiffany and the history of Tiffany Studios. Click this video on your screen to watch the full biography and uncover more fascinating stories.