Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Antiques Roadshow ~


For some, it is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.


I watched last night as a man showed a painting his mother had been given sometime in the 30's by the painter, and I am sorry to say I don't remember his name. Both this man and the artist were from Pennsylvania.

The man related how his wife didn't like the painting and would not let him hang it in his living room, so it had been relegated to the basement for the last 30 years or so that the man had owned it. The art expert told a little bit about the history of the artist and the genre of the painting, and then said, "Maybe your wife will let you bring it out of the basement when I tell you that this painting, at auction, would bring between $80 and $120K!!

The man looked as though he might fall over dead from surprise and said "You're not kidding, are you?" "No", she answered. After a few more seconds of disbelief, he again said, "You're NOT kidding, are you?" Finally, it appeared to sink in.

Wouldn't you love to have been a fly on the wall when that guy went home and told his wife?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would love to be the fly on the wall too! Thanks for the smile this story brought me...love, Alice

Greg Finnegan said...

I will bet that he DIDN'T say anything.

If it came up, I'd say, "Oh, that old ugly painting? I finally got rid of it, as you insisted, dear darling Philistine."

Then, I'd deposit the proceeds from the auction in my secret account in Atlantic City...

Anonymous said...

Those programs are HUGE over here. I am SO hooked on them now. Great story Judy...

Anonymous said...

I love the ones who have a long elaborate story about their prize only to be told it's a fake, a really nice fake, but still only worth a buck 2.98.

Anonymous said...

We can't get PBS here and I so miss that show....I want to get some of my mother's stuff appraised but no way to get it done....I bet there were a lot of fly wanna be out there watching.

sonia a. mascaro said...

I am not sure if this man will say anything to his wife....

Anonymous said...

I dream of finding one of these treasures in my fleamarket hauls!

Lois Lane said...

No doubt. that would be great seeing her reaction! I bet it is already on the auction block, that is, if she has anything to say about it. That's a cool show.

Anonymous said...

Yep! And now I must run to the closet to go through my hub's junk collection again. If I don't return to blogging, it means we struck it rich!! ;)

Leanne said...

See, that's going to be my artwork one day - that's my goal. I want someone to take one of my paintings in there and get a value like that. Definitely.

Except I know I'll be dead before that happens. :P

Anonymous said...

Makes me cringe to think of all the stuff people throw away becasue one person's junk is another person's treasure.

tiff said...

I SAW that ep, and LOVED the painting. So pretty - of someplace in Buck's County PA. I'll just bet that it comes out of the basement now!

srp said...

It would be on the auction block before you could blink.

utenzi said...

30 years in the basement? Ha! I bet when he went home to his wife--she was forced to admit that she'd given it to Good Will decades back. Funny stuff.

Anonymous said...

I saw that show, too! My favorite part was that the artist signed the painting "to Horny, compliments of (I can't remember his name either)". Maybe THAT'S why the wife didn't want it in the living room. :)