Ben Marks and the crew at The Collectors Weekly, immersed themselves in an Antiques Roadshow taping last month in San Jose, California, and documented their experience. Ben brought a Pogo animation cel for appraisal and his colleague Jessica Lewis had a Elks Club fob from the early part of last century. From Collectors Weekly:
Inside the set, the energy is exhilarating. The appraisers are laughing, fiercely examining items, calling out to one another: "Hey, you gotta take a look at this!" The excitement is contagious and we quickly become wrapped up in the psychology of television, people with dreams, and family secrets being revealed.
(KQED volunteer Lyn) Johnson leads us to Jewelry to see what we can learn about the Elks piece. As we wait, an appraiser named Barry Weber is talking to a colleague about a guest's item. The conversation is mostly about what the guest may already know about the item, and whether they should pitch it to go on camera.
At the Jewelry table, Adam Patrick of A La Vielle Russie, Inc. examines an Elks fob from the early 20th century. The piece is made of 14k yellow gold, includes a diamond and a sapphire, and holds an elk's tooth. It was appraised at $750 to $800.
As Bemko told us the day before, the show's dual goals include informing a guest about his or her item, as well as documenting the guest during what she called a "vulnerable" moment. If the guest knows too much, it doesn't make for great TV. Weber knows this, and they want to be sure not to waste anyone's time with a pitch that might get shot down.
"An Inside Look at Antiques Roadshow: A Collectors Weekly Special Report"
