$16 Goodwill painting valued at $100K: Ep. 1 recap of ‘Antiques Roadshow: Raleigh’

Three quick things:

• PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow” came to Raleigh last spring, and their experts appraised various items worth thousands of dollars — even into the six figures.

• Highlights include an autographed MLB Hall of Fame Program valued up to $50K, Maya Angelou awards valued up to $55K and a painting bought at Goodwill valued up to $100K.

• The episode, titled “North Carolina Museum of Art, Hour 1” aired April 1 at 8 p.m. on PBS and can be viewed on the PBS App. There are three total episodes, plus a behind the scenes bonus special.

“Antiques Roadshow” had a tour stop in Raleigh at the NC Museum of Art last May, and nearly 3,500 people came by to get their special items checked out and appraised.

The first of three episodes features 22 unique items appraised by the show’s professionals. Many of the items were appraised in the thousands (with a few breaking six figures), and some items had heartfelt backstories to them.

The first episode, called “North Carolina Museum of Art, Hour 1,” aired Monday, April 1, on PBS. The second episode airs Monday, April 15. You can watch for free online or in the PBS App.

Now that we’re in a spoiler-free zone, here are the highlighted items in the first episode.

Autographed MLB Hall of Fame Program valued up to $50K

A man’s grandfather received autographs from the majority of the inductees to the 1939 MLB Hall of Fame, notably including Babe Ruth and Cy Young.

His grandfather got the autographs the day the Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown, New York, in 1939, and he rode the train from New York City to be there.

“[My grandfather] told me when I was probably 10 years old that he hid in the bathroom after the Old Timer’s Game or the All Star Game that day, and as they were having a reception, I guess he came out of the bathroom and everybody was there,” the unnamed man said.

“All these greats of baseball at the time were in the reception hall, and that’s when he got everyone’s autograph. It must have been an impressive room to be in.”

Antiques Roadshow’s Jasmani Francis valued the collection between $10,000 and $50,000.

Maya Angelou awards valued up to $55K

“About eight years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Maya Angelou,” a man said as he showcased two awards given to her.

“I just fell in love with her from the time when I knew of her in my college years for her poem ‘Phenomenal Woman.’ My wife is a huge fan of hers. I met her in Winston Salem,” he said.

The award, named the Spingarn Award, was given to Angelou in 1994 by the NAACP. The man said his own mom was in the first graduating class of Spingarn High School in Washington, DC, and the first recipient of the Spingarn Award was the founder of the man’s fraternity, Dr. Ernest Everett Just.

This award has also been granted to Oprah Winfrey, Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr. and many other prominent African American leaders.

He said he was willing to go as high as he needed to buy it, expecting it would sell for about $5,000, but he paid $1,100.

The man said his friend went to the auction on his behalf to buy the award, and he sneakily bought a companion medal at the auction (which cost $80), and his friend gave him the award for his 50th birthday.

“This isn’t something I would sell, I’m proud to be the guardian of it. It’s great to know it has a value. I’m just happy to have this piece of African American history.”

Antiques Roadshow’s Philip Weiss valued both awards between $23,000 and $55,000.

Rare Tiffany & Co diamond & platinum brooch valued up to $30K

A woman bought the Tiffany & Co brooch for around $3,000 about 30 years ago, but she immediately stored it away and has never worn it.

“This is a quintessential art deco jewel. I absolutely am in love with this because of the lines. You might expect me to say diamonds first but truthfully it has beautiful art modern lines which are just captivating,” said Antiques Roadshow’s Jill Burgum.

It has diamonds in a variety of shapes, including European, French, Baguette and round cuts, and set in a platform frame.

Burgum valued the brooch between $25,000 and $30,000.

1980s arcade system with 3D imager and games valued up to $4,000

A native Long Islander brought a 1982 Vectrex Arcade System with 3D Imager & Games to be appraised by Antiques Roadshow’s games expert Travis Landry.

He said his mother bought the system in the early 1980s to give the kids something to play with, as they didn’t have TV in the house.

The 3D imager (which was bought online in 2011 for $615) made the collection extraordinary, Landry said. It had never been unboxed, and Landry was the first person to try on the headpiece.

Only three games were released to be used with the 3D imager on the Vectrex system, he said. The imager alone, on today’s market, can be valued at up to $3,000.

“This is the last thing I would have ever expected to see here today,” Landry said.

He valued all elements of the system between $3,500 and $4,000.

European musical watch fobs collection valued up to $55K

A woman brought five musical watch fobs that took her 12 years to collect. She said she paid between about $1,000 and $4,000 for each of them.

The collection is even more unique because each one has a “musical movement underneath it,” she said, and they all have their own tune that plays when you turn the stem on the top of each watch fob.

Antiques Roadshow’s Michael Larsen said the five together are valued around $30,000, but prices tend to increase when you sell as a collection, so the auction estimate could be between $45,000 and $55,000.

Painting bought for $15.99 at Goodwill valued up to $100K

A woman brought in a painting she bought at Goodwill for $15.99 during the pandemic. It had an engraved tab on the frame, which made her think when purchasing that it could be a legitimate painting.

As an occupational therapist in a Level 1 trauma hospital, the pandemic was especially stressful for her, and thrifting became her “therapy,” she said. She bought this piece after an exceptionally stressful day of work.

The painting, done by Vietnamese artist Lê Phổ and titled La Cueillette des Pommes Cannelle (translated to “cinnamon apple picking”), is an oil on board signed by the painter.

Antiques Roadshow’s Betty Krulik said pieces like this one sell at auction between $60,000 and $80,000 at auction, but it should be insured close to $100,000. The woman became emotional when hearing the high price.

Highlights from Antiques Roadshow’s Raleigh stop

Here are the other remarkable finds featured in the first episode:

• Cast Iron & Glass Fish Bowl (ca 1920) valued between $200 and $300

• 1972 Alexander Calder McGovern for Government Lithograph valued at $5,000

• Carl Reichert Painting Copy (ca 1950) valued at $500

• Fern Coppedge December Mist Oil (ca 1920) valued at $120K

• Late 20th C Italian Amber Spiky Glass Vase valued at $300

• Michelin Man “Bibendum” Advertising Figure (ca 1925) valued at $7,500

• Vollis Simpson Whirligig (ca 2008) varied between $2,000 and $2,5000

• Torii Kotondo Kamisuki Woodblock Print (ca 1930) valued between $4,000 and $5,000

• Aesthetic Movement Tilt-Top Candlestand valued between $150 and $250

• Chinese Egg & Spinach Gaze Porcelain Ducks (ca 1935) valued between $200 and $300

• Iroquois Beaded Tea Cozy (ca 1850) valued at $5,000

• Lt Samuel Gerock Revolutionary War Archive valued between $10,000 and $25,000

• Tricycle (ca 1895) valued between $800 and $1,200

• Walnut Eagle Head Cane (ca 1800) valued between $2,500 and $3,500

• American Wooden Ladder-back Chairs (ca 1800) valued between $100 and $300

• Rozenburg Eggshell Porcelain Vase (ca 1900) valued between $2,000 and $5,000

The three bullet points at the top of the article were created using an AI tool for summarization and edited by journalists. Read more on our AI policy here.