When it comes to reality TV shows, there is one that definitely stands out among the rest.
We’re talking about Antiques Roadshow.
When it comes right down to it, there’s really nothing like it.
All people are welcome on the show so long as they’re toting their potential valuables along with them, and a strong appetite to know their worth, too.
In one episode, a sweet little old lady named Rose brought her brooches onto the show to get them appraised, just to see if they were worth anything.
Her brooches had a story.
They meant something to her both as jewelry and in terms on sentiments, so she wanted to know if they would be worth anything to someone else.
Little did Rose know she was in for a big surprise. Here’s how it works.
Antiques Roadshow is a tour and tour-goers can buy tickets if it’s stopping in their town. Then, they are allowed to bring a couple of items to have appraised.
Not all of the appraisals are filmed, and obviously, not all of the appraisals are winners. Something you think is worth thousands could actually be something bought at Walmart 20 years ago. You never know.
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Rose’s brooches are humble in appearance.
Just some curly silver metal on a pin. But Rose claimed that they were a gift from Harry Bertoia, a famous artist and sculptor.
He had stayed in the dorms where one of her sisters worked while he was in school, and he gave all three of the girls a brooch as a gift.
Peter, the appraiser, knew their authenticity.
“There’s no solder. Everything is either done by rivets or pins or tension fitting and this is very much keeping with the aesthetic of what we call modernist jewelry from this period.”
Even though Bertoia was known for his sculptures, early in his career he made some jewelry. Since he moved onto another medium, it’s very rare to find something small that he made, like these brooches.
Now came the exciting part.
How much are the brooches worth?
When Peter said that at an auction these pieces could go for forty to sixty thousand dollars, you could see that Rose had to catch her breath.
He also said that if she had a third they could bring in even more, from the right buyer of course.
Rose has the cutest reaction.
She exclaims:
“Well Hallelujah it was worth the trip! It was so nice meeting you Peter!” Rose said in typical grandma fashion. “I’m gonna go home and celebrate!”
But that wasn’t all.
Just as the two were wrapping up the interview Rose let it slip that she had actually considered selling the pieces.
She heard people were buying up silver and thought that she could make a couple of bucks by selling off some of her own jewelry, but she decided to hold onto these.
This story could have a much less happy ending if Rose would have sold those brooches years ago.
She’s overjoyed that she decided to hold onto them knowing what she knows now.
She won’t be selling them soon.
See Rose’s adorable rejoicing in the video below!
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