Surprising Antiques Roadshow Moments

These seemingly unimportant finds might have ended up in the trash if the appraisers didn't step in.

One of the exciting parts about being an antique dealer is the hunt for exceptional antiques that other people are more than willing to throw to the curb. But, of course, quickly discarding valuable antiques isn’t always the case. The general public knows some antiques are valuable, like diamond rings and fancy antique furniture. But what about these Antiques Roadshow finds?

The owners may have had some provenance that led them to believe these items were worth a lot of money. But if you saw these items sitting in a thrift shop with no context, would you buy them? Would you know that they were possibly worth millions of dollars? Try out your appraiser skills and see if you were right on the money or wildly off base.

Antiques Roadshow Appraisals

Alexander Calder Mobile

Alexander Calder Mobile, ca. 1950
CREDIT: PBS

Item: Aluminum mobile
Period: c. 1950
Aired: 7/10/2010

Value: $400,000 – $1,000,000 (Updated in 2021: $800,000 – $2,000,000)

Elias Pelletreau Silver Teapot

Elias Pelletreau Silver Teapot
CREDIT: PBS

Item: Silver teapot
Period: c. 1750
Aired: 7/25/1998

Value: $20,000

Colima Pottery Dog Figure

Colima Pottery Dog Figure
CREDIT: PBS

Item: Pottery dog
Period: 200 BC – 200 AD
Aired: 8/8/2015

Value: $9,000 – $12,000 (Updated in 2018: $10,000 – $13,000)

Navajo Ute First Phase Blanket

Navajo Ute First Phase Blanket
CREDIT: PBS

Item: Blanket
Period: c. 1850
Aired: 6/9/2001

Value: $350,000 – $500,000 (Updated in 2021: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000)

Jean-Michel Basquiat Oil Stick Drawing

Jean-Michel Basquiat Oil Stick Drawing
CREDIT: PBS

Item: Drawing
Period: c. 1979
Aired: 9/18/2017

Value: $400,000 (Updated in 2021: $500,000)

Tlingit Bowl & Ladle

Tlingit Bowl & Ladle
CREDIT: PBS

Item: Bowl and mountain sheep horn ladle
Period: 18th – 19th century
Aired: 8/15/2009

Value: $250,000 – $300,000

Map of Lower Mississippi

1858 Map of Lower Mississippi
CREDIT: PBS

Item: Paper map
Period: 1858
Aired: 8/11/2001

Value: $4,500 – $5,000 (Updated in 2016: $150,000 – $200,000)

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