"Antique Road Show" makes coins look FREE!

topstuf

Oh yes, ma'am, this 1844 Victorian BLOOD DISH with the globular fairies stuck on it is VERY rare. Why, there must be TWO buyers who would like to have it if they ever served boiled blood at their dinner parties. I would put an "insurance" value on it of....oh...$75,000.....maybe more on a good day."


sheeesh!

baccaruda

I always guess the "Ebay" value just before they announce their "estimated auction value". For example - A big stupid looking painted doll, auction value $250,000 - Ebay value $13.

Shamika

Just imagine all the junk/counterfiets the Antiques Road Show experts have to look at. Imagine all the dissapointed "customers" they have to deal with.

mercurynut

I still like the show.

originalisbest

I enjoy the show though many of the items are off-kilter, to my taste. But I like the pop culture stuff and old toys a lot. Can do without the $75,000 nanook of the north Alaskan fishhunter helmet - anyone ever appraised a piece of junk like that which happened to be mine and I couldn't sell it fast enough (if I could find a buyer.)

Notice that you never, ever see coins on the show - if you were to, I'd love to see if the advice given bore any resemblance to the reality that most members here would be familiar with.

XpipedreamR

Call me a jerk, but I kind of enjoy it when the people find out they've got junk.








































PS: I'm happy for the people when they find out they've got something good, as well

dcarr

Antiques Road Show (ARS) does not evaluate coins. I don't know why, but that is their stated policy. I don't think they do currency, stamps, or cards either.

I went to one once. I took an old Japanese ornamental signal cannon. A little over two feet long - solid brass. Very heavy. And it works (I've fired it with black powder). I thought it was from the 1930s or earlier.

I first stopped at the toy table. The toy guy said I should go to the Asian Antiques table.

At that table a very nice gentleman confirmed what I thought it was (he said it was from the 1920s). He said the value was about $1500-$2500. I don't know about that (I paid $450).

On my way out I saw that no one was at the "Arms & Militaria" table. So I stopped to ask them about it. The "expert" there was not much of an expert at all, and not very friendly either. He said "well, it certainly doesn't fire". I pointed out to him that it did, at which point he stopped talking. A nicer fellow seated next to him chimed and and showed the other guy that it was a real cannon and not just a decoration. They said it was worth $800.

PS: When I first saw the cannon it was for sale in an antique shop in Maine (I was there on a business & weekend trip). They had a $500 price tag on it. I offered them $450 if they would ship it to me out of state (I didn't want to take it with me on the plane for obvious reasons). They agreed. A week or so later it arrived at my house. I soon discovered that, not only was it loaded, but almost the entire barrel was jammed with high-velocity smokeless rifle cartride powder ("Red-Dot" or something like that) and a paper towel wad to hold it in. I literally had (unknowingly) shipped a pipe bomb to myself. I never diffused a "bomb" before. But I succeeded by soaking it under water for a long time, and by forcing water under pressure through the fuse hole.

originalisbest

Wacky story dcarr. I did once see cards on Roadshow - some otherwise nice 1914-1915 Crackerjack paper cards - worth some $$$ - that the doofus had GLUED to a frame backing. Ehhggggh.

Coinosaurus

They tell interesting stories on that show. I like it. But yes, for everyone that gets on the TV show, there must be hundreds of "duds".

ibzman350

Too funny ...... "I soon discovered that, not only was it loaded, but almost the entire barrel was jammed with high-velocity smokeless rifle cartride powder ("Red-Dot" or something like that) and a paper towel wad to hold it in. I literally had (unknowingly) shipped a pipe bomb to myself. I never diffused a "bomb" before".

Herb

dcarr

In fact, here is the item in question. Overall length is 25 inches. Bore diameter is 13/16th of an inch.



PS: My segment didn't make it on to the actual TV show.

Skipper53

I recently read an article about a guy who took several Civil War era guns
to the RoadShow. The appraiser said they were worth about $25,000.
Outside, as the guy was leaving, some stranger walked up and offered
him $25,000 for the guns.
Turns out the guns were worth $75,000 and the appraiser and buyer
were in cahoots !
I'm sure most of what we see is fairly accurate but, as in all of life, there
are bound to be traps for the unwary.

Baley

I enjoy Antiques Road Show, always laugh at the appraisals ("heh, that ugly painting is worth how much??? .)

all the while I pay 500 or a thousand times face value (or more) for pocket change

Sequitur

The appraisers used to discuss "auction value." But in more recent episodes, they speak of "insurance value." Why the change in valuation methodology?

raycyca

Because you can't get the "auction value" at auction! I also collect antique glass. My parents got me into coins, galss, stamps as a kid. I sold all when I got married, DUMB!!!!! I very recently got an extremely rare antique piece of glass with a POP of less than 6, YES, less than 6!! The "book or auction" price is several thousand dollars. I bought the item for $76. So much for book or auction pricing. Yet, the same company had a bottle worth $400 in the book. I bid $750 and was shocked when it sold for $1900 at auction WAY up in Maine! Go figure. I can't. I like the show anyway.

dorkkarl

i like the show too. for 1 thing, they're not the "official road show" for any particular professional organization.

K S

Coppernicus

If ARS ever had coins on, they'd look alot like The Coin Vault or HSN - little knowledge and a lot of hype. I still like ARS, though.

Rittenhouse

<< <i>The appraisers used to discuss "auction value." But in more recent episodes, they speak of "insurance value." Why the change in valuation methodology? >>



The "wow" effect. Remember ARS is TV.



<< <i>I always guess the "Ebay" value just before they announce their "estimated auction value". For example - A big stupid looking painted doll, auction value $250,000 - Ebay value $13. >>



Then that tells you that Ebay is not the best market for that item. This is an important point to consider with ALL collectibles. Items have different values in different markets. An item will often have several different "values" depending upon the venue. For example, sell a rare painting at a local auction vice Sotheby's and see what it brings. An Emile Gruppe went for 3.5K in a local auction. It brought multiples of that in NY at a later date. Same thing with coins - buying/selling a rare coin at a local auction vice ANR, Hertitage, etc. auction.

MadMonk

I like the show, the antique dealers hate it. Nothing worse than an educated consumer.
I saw one Lady who bought a diminutive half round table for 25.00 bucks or so, at a yard sale. It turned out to be an 18th century antique. They appraised it for 250,000.00 bucks. It sold at auction for almost half a million. I understand that she returned to the lady she bought it from and gave her a little bonus. That's a cool story.

CapAnson

I don't understand how half the stuff they have on the show can be valued at what it is.. but while they may not do Cards they often do Baseballs and other memoribilia and since I have a fair knowledge of that they're usually pretty close to the value, so I guess he other stuff must be generally right.

baccaruda

I assumed they didn't take coins on the show. I've actually considered going to the show and you are required to bring an "antique" if you wish to come. They don't want 5,000 people showing up with 5¢ wheat pennies in their hands.