Almost 13,000 people applied for tickets to the “Antiques Roadshow” appraising event and filming on Saturday at the CenturyLink Center. Only 3,000 pairs of tickets were given out for the taping, which will air in 2016. CHRIS PETERS/THE WORLD-HERALD
By Chris Peters / World-Herald staff writer | Jun 29, 2015
About 5,000 people stood in single file, holding old toys, paintings and other memorabilia passed down from ancestors, hoping to find out their old stuff is worth a fortune.
“Antiques Roadshow,” the popular PBS show, taped three one-hour episodes at the CenturyLink Center on Saturday. The episodes are set to air in 2016.
During the all-day event, appraisers saw all sorts of items, from a 150-year-old set of religious texts to Prohibition-era moonshine bottles. They saw old outfits, paintings and, undoubtedly, plenty of Husker memorabilia.
Early in the day, executive producer Marsha Bemko noted seeing a ladies Wooton desk, the only one the show’s furniture appraisers had ever seen. They appraised it for $4,000 at auction but gave it an insurance replacement value of $12,000 because of its rarity.
“It would take a real challenge to replace that thing and find it,” she said. “Real rarity doesn’t always equal huge value.”
A lottery of almost 13,000 applicants this spring determined the 3,000 people who were awarded free pairs of tickets for the event.
People waited in line with an item or two, got sorted into another line by one of 24 item categories, then saw an appraiser at a table for a few minutes. If the appraiser spotted something unique or valuable, he or she stopped talking, found a producer and pitched it for TV.
About 90 people got the full TV studio treatment, while others were filmed for quick segments for TV or online.
One man, Dwaine, scored big in the spotlight. He brought a collection of Mormon books once owned by his great-grandmother, some of which were published in the 1850s.
“Zion’s Watchman” stood out. It was once used by Australian missionaries and was valued at $25,000 to $30,000. The rest of the collection should sell at auction for $8,000 to $10,000, an appraiser told him.
“I was very surprised,” Dwaine said. “I expected probably ‘The Book of Mormon’ and ‘Doctrine and Covenants,’ because they are more known books, to be more valuable (than ‘Zion’s Watchman’).”
Each city has certain items that make it unique. Collectibles appraiser Laura Woolley said she tries not to research cities ahead of time, that way she’s surprised at what she sees.
On Saturday, one person brought in what Woolley believes is one of the earliest photos of Omaha native Fred Astaire, appraised for $800 to $1,200. She said the owner used to play with Astaire when they were kids.
Omaha native Bob Gibson, who played for 17 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, also made frequent appearances in items at the event. One man had Gibson’s and other rookie cards appraised, while a man named Mike brought in a photo of a young Gibson with brother Josh with a recreational baseball team behind him.
The photo was a recent gift from his boss, whose father is pictured. Appraiser Leila Dunbar estimated the photo’s value at $500 to $1,000.
Usually there’s only an item or two in each city that surpasses the $100,000 mark. Often, it’s a painting. Saturday, it was a Paul Newman Rolex Daytona watch appraised for $100,000.
Most items fetch a few hundred dollars. But just the process of having those items appraised can be rewarding.
Take, for example, brother and sister Rick and Melinda. They brought in a few pieces of Native American artwork that Rick bought at the Goodwill a few years ago.
Right when they entered the arena, a volunteer approached them and beckoned for her husband. The man introduced himself as Walt Duda, the man who painted one of their pieces.
“I thought ‘Oh my God, what’s the chances?’ ” Melinda said.
Duda autographed the back of the painting, which Rick bought for $25. Appraised at $300, it’s a nice little profit, but the thing that will stick with them, they said, like many who went through the “Antiques Roadshow” on Saturday, is the experience.