Antiques Roadshow Interesting Item, Jane Austen’s Toys

By Jamie

I found a very interesting clip today from Antiques Roadshow. I always like to look for the unique items that you won’t find in an antiques price guide and this one didn’t disappoint. The featured collection consisted of items that belong to one of Jane Austen’s direct descendents and some of them were used by Jane herself. There are several pictures of her relatives, an ivory cup and ball game, along with a beautiful board game and other toys. Check it out!



Jane Austen was an English Novelist in the late 1700s and early 1800s. She is one of the most celebrated writers of all time. I have always been a huge fan of her work. Many of her books have been made into movies such as Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Predjudice and Persuasion. My personal favorite hands down is Sense and Sensibility, though most people love Emma. There are even recent movies about her life like Becoming Jane.

Apparently Jane’s family was very close-knit. She had six brothers and one sister. Her sister, Cassandra was her closest friend and a gifted artist. Jane was also very close to her brother Henry, who was her literary agent and a clergyman. The descendent on the show was from Edward, another of Jane’s brothers. I haven’t seen any of the movies about Jane Austen’s life, but now my interest is piqued and I’m going to have to go out and rent one. It will be fun to see if Edward is heavily featured in the films. I can’t help but value collectibles like this, that make historical figures seem so much more real.

Besides being interesting, this appraisal was one of the more entertaining antique appraisals I’ve ever seen. It almost seemed as if the appraiser didn’t believe the owner of the collection that he was directly related to Jane Austen. I imagine antique appraisers really have to be careful what they believe. To truly value collectibles accurately, they need reliable information and facts. He had the family tree there to prove it, but I guess you are always better safe than sorry.

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Antique Roadshow Interesting Item: Navajo Blanket Worth Half a Million

By Jamie Gilliam


Today’s featured item is something really special. Not only, is it one of the most valuable antiques collectibles to ever appear on Antique Roadshow, but it is truly a National Treasure. The blanket at first seems insignificant at best, but looks can be deceiving. It was given to the owner’s Grandmother’s Foster-father by Kit Carson himself. Carson was the frontiersman in charge of rounding up and imprisoning Navajo Indians in the late 1800s. Apparently they can tell by the pattern on the blanket that it is very old and one of the first most pure patterns the Navajo ever used. They also say that it is a chief’s blanket, which is also very exciting. Check out this video clip of the appraisal to learn more.



Even with financial and historical importance aside, I have to say that it was honestly one of the most entertaining antique appraisals I have ever seen from the show. The antique appraiser, Donald Ellis, is so excited he can barely contain himself, and when he tells the owner the value, the man is so shocked that he is moved to tears. The fact that the appraisal wasn’t even based on the fact that Carson had owned the blanket is very exciting too. The value of antiques rise significantly based on historical figures. My favorite line would have to be “When you walked in with this, I just about died.” What a great appraisal!

Rumor has it that the blanket later sold for $550,000. This appraisal was in 2002. I wonder what the value of that blanket is today. Maybe one day they’ll do a revisit episode on Antique Road Show.

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Antique Roadshow Interesting Item 1957 Fender Stratocaster

I was browsing the web today and I came across one of the most surprising antique appraisals I’ve ever seen. I’ve always been pretty fond of guitars and I have even owned a few. I thought I knew a little bit about them, so I was shocked when the seemingly normal old guitar on the video below was valued at $60,000. I wonder if that is the highest value antiques like guitars have gotten on Antique Road Show.



My interested was piqued so I did some research. Fender has been making Stratocasters since 1954. They were designed by George Fullerton, Leo Fender and Freddie Tavares. Apparently, the design of this guitar has been widely celebrated and featured in museums. Many year models of the guitar are highly sought-after collectibles, though the highest value is generally placed on strats from 1954 to 1958.

The 1957 model is particularly collectible because of style and material changes made over the years. Buddy Holly and other famous stars have owned and played 57 strats throughout their careers, which also lends to the model’s popularity. Fender still makes and sells Stratocasters today and even has a custom shop where your guitar will be made to your specifications. Who knows, in fifty years or so, your guitar could be one of the hottest antique collectibles out there.

Apparently, there are a lot of fakes out there so it is important to be an informed buyer and to find a trustworthy dealer. While I was researching, I noticed that many strat collectors out there have horror stories of bad sellers that they are more than willing to share. I hate that those people were tricked, but at least they are sharing what they learned from their mistakes. It is always good to see collectors who are so willing to look out for each other. I hope you enjoyed th