Record Valuation on Antiques Roadshow Shocks Collector

Antiques Roadshow is one of those television treats (at least for my wife and I) that simply can't be resisted. Although I never record the show for later viewing, if I find it on while I'm surfing the channels, I stop, and put the remote down.

It's almost like watching a lottery drawing, because you never know who's going to walk away with the big prize: a high-dollar valuation by a trained expert. My favorites are the ones who inherited, bought on a lark, snagged at a yard sale, or just discovered in their attic some heretofore unknown treasure that winds up being worth far more than the owner could have ever hoped.

Like the lottery, there are let downs, too. Many a face has fallen upon hearing the news that their item is a fake or forgery, or it would have been worth big bucks if only it didn't have a chip, stain, blemish, or other damage that caused a big drop in value.

Then, there are moments like this one: