Guess what I just got????

[marge]

NO..... it's not new skis.



I just "won" two tickets to the Antiques Roadshow!! I entered their lottery (they're going to be in Grand Rapids, MI in August) and WON!!! My mom and I get to take 2 items each. I'm go geeked!

I know one of my items is going to be a chest that was brought over from England by either my great-great grandmother or great-great-great (we're going to try to find out which). The date painted on the inside of it is 1830. We don't think it's really "worth" anything as we believe it was probably made by her family but I'm dying to know if anyone can tell me ANYTHING about it.

I'll let you know what happens!

 

[SueNJ]

That's so cool! Can't wait to hear what happens! I'm amazed at the value of some of the things people bring on that show--and from the expression on some of their faces, they are too.

 

[Jenny]

How fun!

Mom had me enter the lottery for those, too, but we must not have gotten them, since you posted this yesterday and I haven't seen an email for "our" tickets.

She and dad went down to KY with a couple of things last year, and were hoping to get lucky again and get in here in GR.

 

[Pequenita]

That's really neat! You'll have to let us know what you learn!

 

[Jenny]

How was it?

 

[geargrrl]

I got to go last year in SPokane, it was a blast. I didn't make the lottery, but I do have a friend that works at the local PBS station and I had to bake him a rhubarb pie for tickets.

It was fun - just the "show": people standing in line, the stuff they have with them and so on.

We took several things that my father, the dilettante collector, had given us. A Japanese print (rumored to be a museum piece), an antique oriental rug, a pre dynastic Egyptian bronze and an inlaid Mideast metal box.

The short version of is is that it's all total crap or not what he thought it was with the exception of the print, which really was Museum quality Hiroshige from about 1880. Except..... it was very faded. It's been the way it was even
when I was a small girl. They almost put me on TV with it!!! I thought I was going to die I was so anxious. But it turned out to be worth less than I had always been told, and what they want to show on TV is those "holy crap"moments when they tell you your $2 items is worth $20K, not that your faded piece is only worth 1/2 of what you had always been told.

It was a great experience, though!!

gg

 

[ski diva]

I absolutely love that show. It's like they've combined "The Price is Right" with a history lesson; suspenseful yet educational. There's always a little bit of everything. If you're bored, wait five minutes and they'll be on to something else. And the stories people tell are fascinating (well, sometimes). It always gets me what people have in their garage or attic or bought for two bucks at a yard sale or been given by the old guy down the street. Why doesn't that ever happen to me???

Some of the stuff is so awful, though; there's almost always some ugly vase that I'm sure I would've put out with the trash, yet ends up being worth thousands of dollars. Shows what I know!!

 

[marge]

OMG was it fun!! As those have said before me just being there was a complete experience. :D We each got to take two things. It took about 2 hours before we even got to the place where they give you tickets to what line you need to be in.

Antique stereoskop - It's German and was used in World War II to map/chart/etc. Worth about $250.

My gf's antique silver service for 12 (each serving set has 9 pieces) with an additional 8 serving pieces - Worth 1/2 of what it appraised for in 1975. (insurance value about $5,000).

Old painting - Hung over my great aunt's fireplace since my mom was a little girl. It wasn't even a painting. It was a print varnished over canvas to make it look like a painting. She said it was worth about $25. We laughed because we're sure my aunt paid more than $25 for it new.

Antique trunk - This was what I was most excited about. It was dated 1830 (had a date under the lid) and was probably a Scandanavian wedding trunk. We were sure we had a winner as the people in line to get in were going CRAZY for it. He told us we were right in our guesses about what it was and it was about $500-$700. We even had people coming up to us after to find out what we learned and how much.

The best part was this guy who had these two VERY tall spears. They didn't look particularly old or even real. We were talking to his wife and come to find out they were two of the staphs used in The Wizard of Oz by the wicked witch's guards! They were valued at about $30,000 (not sure if that was for the pair or apiece). He had bought them at an auction about 20 years ago for $600.

All in all, I would do it again next week. We were in line a total of about 4 hours and had a GREAT time! :p

 

[Jenny]

GR Press today mentioned the Wizard of Oz lances - it was $30K for the pair.

The most valuable thing brought was a Stickley music cabinet form1903-04, $80-$100K.