After all these years, and all of the fancy, slick t.v. shows that have come out, I still find myself still going back to simpler fare. IMO, Antiques Roadshow is still one of the best programs on the boob tube. Not only does it play into everyone's dream of striking it rich, but it's also very educational, and they really give excellent descriptions of the pieces. Without any of the drama or hokiness that's so prevalent on television nowadays.
Not sure if anyone caught it, but I happened upon an episode the other night where an older fella brought in a blanket. One which he's had draped over his easy chair for the past 25 or 30 years. Well...
Turns out his "ratty, old blanket" was a SUPER rare Ute Native American Chief's Wearing Blanket, which came from Kit Carson himself, and was given to the gentleman's family. Worth $350,000!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJw2qCnhea0
Another segment on the same show had a woman bring in a beautiful 18k gold pocket watch studded with diamonds, that Pancho Villa killed a man for. He then sold it to his doctor, who was also the physician of the woman's father. He tried buying it from him, but no dice. When the physician died many years later, the man called his wife and was finally able to buy the piece. Worth $50,000!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDxt7diT...HtdrOmfyEN
I really enjoy the guest appraisers, and I find it interesting how each of them has their own niche of expertise they specialize in.
Don't think it would be too popular, or be very watchable for the non-detectorist, but I wish they had a show exactly like this for old coins and relics. That I would really enjoy
Roadshow used to be one of my favorites years ago but somehow I got away from it. It was just by pure chance that I happened upon the blanket episode the other night and decided to see it through. What a neat discovery. And how many similar rare items are in homes all across the US? Something just passed down in the family with no idea of it's true history. Bet there are many. The owner of the blanket was truly affected when he found out the value; he was nearly in tears and so grateful to the appraiser.
I too enjoyed that show back a few years. I haven't watched in a long time. We even had done this type of show at the local historical society, to raise money for the society. Plenty of old folks brought in items to get appraised. We had two for antiques and one for jewerly but your right no one for coins either.
I like the Pickers show but can't just keep watching over and over.
I even tried Oak Island but with Gary Drayton swinging the CTX super fast I just switched it to a hockey game. But I keep looking on on show like you are pointing out.
(12-21-2016 04:16 PM)Bigtony Wrote: [ -> ]I too enjoyed that show back a few years. I haven't watched in a long time. We even had done this type of show at the local historical society, to raise money for the society. Plenty of old folks brought in items to get appraised. We had two for antiques and one for jewerly but your right no one for coins either.
I like the Pickers show but can't just keep watching over and over.
I even tried Oak Island but with Gary Drayton swinging the CTX super fast I just switched it to a hockey game. But I keep looking on on show like you are pointing out.
Gary Drayton was on Oak Island? I've only seen a couple of episodes of O.I., but that's pretty interesting, as he's mainly a beach hunter. I'm guessing he was assisting them in a water search of some kind?
Gary's an accomplished surf hunter, and it's not uncommon for him to find many ounces of gold on a yearly basis. If I was pressed, I'd say the quicker swinging was necessary for the cameras or to help speed things along as the show needs to come in at roughly 40 minutes, if you factor in the commercials. But I hear what you're saying, in general. On a few of the detecting shows (most of which have been canceled), the detectors they were swinging would give off the sounds of different brand machines, they'd get a signal that would blow your ears off and yell out; "Wow, I think I got a deep one here!", and all kinds of other nonsense. Again, most probably done out of necessity & convenience, but still annoying nonetheless.
Joe, Gary Drayton was on a few of those shows (or at least two that I saw). The first one I saw he found a coin that resembled a large cent - probably foreign coin,I don't remember. This past week he was swinging in a small forest and they dug up a chain that was used to haul logs (fallen trees) and then a few other iron items. Then I switched it off so I didn't see the entire show. You might be able to get it online.
I did watch quite a few of the metal detecting shows when they were still on. Not religiously, just here and there if nothing else was on television. I didn't like Diggers, the with those 2 guys at ALL. Too much slapstick for my taste. The one with Chicago Ron was okay...barely, but the segments were too short, and again, lots of goofy antics. The worst of all however, IMO, was the wrestler. I didn't mind his personality as much as the bullshit that they passed off as real. Nails worth $75, tin cans worth $25...if memory serves me correct, he actually found an old broken horseshoe on one episode, and he "sold" it for $80 or something. Ludicrous.
I also didn't like the fact that the show was built around him selling his finds at the end of each episode. It sent the wrong message to those outside the hobby. They think we go out, hunt all day, then go home and make thousands of dollars from selling stuff. His was the worst of the worst. I believe American Digger (the magazine) actually had to fire him for all of the heat Butch Holcombe was getting due to the show, since he was a staff writer.
All nonsense. I sometimes wonder if other groups get upset when they watch shows about their crafts. I can imagine a builder sitting at home and yelling at Bob Villa through the t.v. "You're a HACK! That's not the way it's done, Bob!!!"
