Antiques Roadshow Detours

In the world of rare silver, American Colonial silver is the stuff collectors dream of. So, when a pair of drinking vessels or "canns," complete with intricate engraving by a master Boston craftsman, were discovered during ROADSHOW’s visit to Akron in 2023, expert Nick Dawes examined the cups’ clues to reveal both the silver’s early-American history and extraordinary value. But does Nick’s tale of the tankards hold water? Join host Adam Monahan as he searches for the untarnished truth, picking through the many stories, half-truths, and wishful legends in a quest for what may or may not have been lost to history forever.

Some of the items seen on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW take you right back to your childhood, evoking fun memories of long-forgotten treasures. But for some, a lifelong collecting passion is born. When expert Travis Landry discovered a rare set of 18 Star Wars figures straight from the original movie's era, still sealed in plastic on colorful cards at ROADSHOW in Salt Lake City, he had found the stuff of collecting dreams. Join host Adam Monahan as he speaks with Jim Swearingen, the Kenner designer who helped turn putty and Fisher-Price parts into a global phenomenon, to learn the real history behind the launch of Star Wars toys, and follows the results as the figures hit the auction block. Did the values of these beloved characters soar to a galaxy far, far away?

Thousands of guests have appeared on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, but only one holds the distinction of having also been on the cover of Playboy magazine. Former centerfold Candace Jordan stole the show in Chicago in 2014 with a rare archive of Playboy memorabilia including her 1976 “Bunny of the Year” costume complete with sash and shoes, trophies, and a celebrity-signed program. Join host Adam Monahan as he goes down the rabbit hole to learn what it was like inside Chicago’s famed Playboy Club and discovers how this memorable collection went from life in the Playboy fast lane to a permanent collection at an important Chicago museum.

On ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, an appraisal is usually the final word—but what happens when a guest brings her own receipts? In 2011, an Atlanta guest presented a brilliant royal blue enamel egg she hoped was a Fabergé masterpiece. Appraiser Sebastian Clarke wasn’t convinced, labeling the treasure, acquired by the guest for $15,000, a “Faux-berge” fake. The matter seemed closed until a second, conflicting appraisal was revealed. Was Sebastian right all along or had he made a "royal blunder"? Join host Adam Monahan as he dives into the chaos of the Russian Revolution, tracks down a world leading Fabergé expert, and cracks the case of this irksome egg.

Ever wondered what happens after the Antiques Roadshow cameras stop rolling? Host Adam Monahan returns for Season 7 of Antiques Roadshow Detours to investigate the juicy, complicated, and often hilarious "afterlives" of America's favorite treasures. From Star Wars and Jaws movie history to "Faux-bergé" eggs and the appraisals that went spectacularly wrong, we’re following the truth wherever it leads. Join us for a new season of fakes, fumbles, and fascinating history. New episodes start March 30th!

Maps show us the world. These wayfinding wonders show us how people think about the world, and sometimes they make us think about the world differently. When a map from 1700 worth thousands of dollars and showing a very different world view came to ANTIQUES ROADSHOW’s 2023 event in Sturbridge, MA, it raised the question – on modern maps, why is north always at the top? Join host Adam Monahan as he travels through map making history to discover the surprising events that flipped cartography on its head.

When a large equine statue first appeared at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW in 1997, Asian Arts expert Lark Mason was suspicious if it was truly an authentic relic from China’s Tang Dynasty or if he was dealing with a horse of a different color. There was only one way to know for sure if this U.S. Air Force pilot's 1950 purchase was authentic. Would the piece pass an age-detecting thermoluminescence test? Join host Adam Monahan as he follows the horse’s trail from ancient-buried treasure to modern-day marvel, and finally to the shocking result with a return to the appraisal table!

Since ANTIQUES ROADSHOW debuted on PBS almost 30 years ago, toys and games expert Noel Barrett has brought joy and vast knowledge to countless guests, but there’s one appraisal—and mistake—he just can’t let go of: a 1930s Snow White painting that defied all initial expectations. Join host Adam Monahan as he takes us on an unexpected journey through the world of Disney art, exploring how the true value of this treasure only revealed itself over time.

Thirteen years ago, a life-sized Elvis Presley cutout rocked ANTIQUES ROADSHOW with a $10,000-$15,000 estimate but now it’s time for him to leave the building. Join ANTIQUES ROADSHOW DETOURS host Adam Monahan for a journey through pop culture history and a dramatic auction filled with twists and turns. Will the superfan owner score a princely payday for the King of Rock and Roll or are they headed to the heartbreak hotel?

Is it true that one person’s junk could actually be a treasure? If you’re an ANTIQUES ROADSHOW fan you might know our Junk in the Trunk specials – loving tributes to the left-over appraisals from the cities we visit each year. But what happened when an odd-looking pen was discovered during ROADSHOW’s 2023 visit to Akron, OH? Join host Adam Monahan as he picks through the junkpile of history to rediscover a forgotten invention by Thomas Edison and rescued an appraisal from the cutting room floor to fulfill the TV dreams of the guest who owns it.

For an appraiser, keeping a keen eye out for forgeries is part of the job. But just how complicated can that task become and to what lengths will forgers go to pass their work off as authentic? Join host Adam Monahan as he explores the story of famed 20th century Louisiana folk artist Clementine Hunter, a prolific painter whose work regularly appears at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW events, and uncovers how an astute student of her work noticed oddities in the marketplace which led to the FBI cracking the biggest Hunter forgery case ever!

Are you in danger of being poisoned by an antique book? The Victorian era ushered in new bright vivid dye formulas that produced brilliant yellows, reds, blues, purples, and greens. Although an antidote to the pervasive soot and grime of the day, these new dyes were laced with poisonous heavy metals – the worst being Emerald Green containing arsenic. Join host Adam Monahan who questions if over 29 seasons of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW a poisonous book has ever come before the hit series’ cameras? Follow the search through the show’s appraisal archive, the discovery of a curiously bright green book filmed in Hartford, CT in 2008, and a visit to The Poison Book Project for the shocking answer.

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW DETOURS kicks off Season 6 with a TV fact checker’s worst nightmare - an error pointed out by a keen ROADSHOW viewer. When the date of a painting depicting a quintessential Chicago scene of the activity on Michigan Avenue is called into question, host Adam Monahan begins a hunt for the truth and sets off a cascade of coincidences and corrections. What follows is a captivating journey of twists and turns, building to a thrilling auction finale…but are the mysteries of the painting ever solved?

Ever wondered what happens to the treasures featured on America’s beloved ANTIQUES ROADSHOW after the cameras leave town? A new season of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW DETOURS tracks down the juicy afterlives of your favorite finds from PBS’s hit series. Hosted by longtime ROADSHOW producer Adam Monahan, this podcast dives deep into mysteries, secrets, and surprises as each episode takes a thrilling “detour” into a single ROADSHOW object, astonishing and amusing listeners with every turn. From GBH and PRX.

Boston Red Sox fans are a committed bunch – to the game, the team, the players, and the belief that a curse from 1918 kept the team away from a World Series win until broken in 2004. So, when a guest brought a Red Sox calendar, discovered behind a barn door after almost 100 years, to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2021, that fan commitment clearly shone through in the $20K-$30K appraisal value. Join host (and Red Sox fanatic) Adam Monahan as he takes a swing at tracing the events leading to the curse, how this particular long-ago brewery-sponsored calendar stopped time at the moment it began, and how fans rallied when the calendar went to the auction block!

Ask fans of GBH’s Antiques Roadshow if they have a favorite appraiser and you’ll hear many names, including one known for his big character, creative mustache styles and bold plaid suits. Nicholas Lowry is a poster expert and master auctioneer – two qualities that were integral to the story of a larger-than-life aquatic poster bathed in muted watery green depicting splashing swimmers and onlookers lining the balcony above, that made its way to the show during a 2004 stop in Portland. Join host Adam Monahan as he dives into the incredible story of Sutro Baths, San Francisco’s 1890 engineering marvel, playground, and entertainment spot, and the poster that more than a century after its printing was offered at auction and saw a dramatic result!

Calling all dog lovers and true-crime aficionados! In 2022 Linda brought a chipped, cracked, and stained ceramic plate featuring the portrait of a long-ago dog to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Santa Fe, NM. But why would the story around this unassuming item soon ignite controversy among appraisers as to the plate’s true worth? Join host Adam Monahan as he chases the fantastic story of Skippy, a Belgian Shepherd who in 1952 saved Linda from the arms of a kidnapper and was subsequently honored as Dog of the Year.

When GBH’s Antiques Roadshow visited Sacramento, CA in 2019 a red-covered two-volume book set was brought to the show by a guest eager to learn about a selection from her grandfather’s book collection. “The Narrative of a Japanese” by Joseph Heco was recognized immediately by appraiser Martin Gammon for its historical importance, but how would this 1895 publication make a modern-day connection 150 years later? Join host Adam Monahan as he examines how an email received by the series after the episode aired led to an incredible connection between the book’s owner and a TV viewer who recognized something in the appraisal missed by both the guest and the expert!

In 1999 a box of artifacts from the sinking of the Titanic made its way to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, including blurry photos of the eerie ice-filled wreck site, a handwritten diary, and -- a biscuit. But how could something so simple and fragile have survived the ship’s sinking? And could the biscuit and other items from the famed shipwreck find a place in today’s collector’s market? Join host Adam Monahan as he dives deep into the story of one tragic night, a honeymooning couple’s tale of survival, and the ship that continues to capture the attention of people more than a century later.

Until 2023, zero paintings created by the beloved PBS artist Bob Ross had ever been brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow. That all changed at the show’s recent stop in Anchorage, Alaska when a whopping six made their way in front of the lights and cameras. Paintings by Ross almost never show up in the open market – so how did so many appear that day and why? Join host Adam Monahan as he learns the colorful backstory of how Ross’ happy little trees and puffy clouds became art therapy for many, the artist’s surprising tie to Alaska, and if the market for his work is the stuff dreams are made of.

In 1977, while preparing a move to New York to make it big as an artist, a young Keith Haring gifted a lithograph titled “Bean Salad” as a goodbye present to his friend Mike. Mike couldn’t bear to display the gift, but also couldn’t part with it, and after 45 years he took the lithograph to the Santa Fe recording of GBH’s Antiques Roadshow where it was appraised for $100,000-$200,000. But what was the unspoken history between the former friends? Join host Adam Monahan as he checks in with the guest to fill in the missing pieces and speaks with Haring’s sister to learn more about the life and work of the famous pop artist’s impactful and tragically short life.

At each appraisal event for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, along with staff and crew, it takes over 100 volunteers to ensure the event runs smoothly. Each is trained in the specifics of their role for the day, including the most important training point -- never talk to guests about their items prior to their appraisal! So, what happened during a 2022 visit to Boise when that cardinal rule was broken? Join host Adam Monahan as he recounts how one forgetful volunteer’s query opened the door to a connection of historic proportions, one so profound that executive producer Marsha Bemko called for cameras to immediately be brought over to capture the unimaginable moment!

An astonishing maritime painting depicting a 19th century yacht race was brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Tampa, FL in 2005.  Although unsigned, the extraordinary depiction of billowing sails and light-reflected sea spray clearly pointed to the work of artist James Buttersworth and was valued at $250,000 to $500,000 – the caveat being that more research would be needed to definitively prove the artist’s identity. Join host Adam Monahan as he speaks with art experts, museum curators and learns what public opinion revealed about the artist’s true identity and whether the mystery has finally been resolved.

A coveted 1959 No. 1 Barbie was appraised for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2016 with a value of $3,500-$4,500. But with today’s Barbie mania following the release of the mega-hit movie, has a nice pink glow washed over the market for the stylishly superstar doll? Join host Adam Monahan as he toys with the question, speaking with Barbie historians, market experts and analyzes recent auction activity to reveal whether Barbie collectors will see a boost or a bust!

A family photograph, long rumored to feature the wild western outlaw, Billy the Kid, is brought to the set of GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2017 where it is quickly and roundly declared as inauthentic. In fact, there is still only one truly authenticated image of “the Kid” known, although countless more have made the claim—some with more plausibility than others. But why does Billy the Kid’s image remain so sought after and so notoriously rare? Host Adam Monahan digs into the case, and along the way discovers a story about the limits of technology, the value of historical accuracy, and the power of belief.

In 2018 GBH’s Antiques Roadshow visited one of the coolest locations the show has filmed at to-date, the Hotel del Coronado, right on the beach in southern CA. So it was surprising when a guest brought a well-used kitchen table to be appraised and even more surprising when it was revealed to be from the 1959 American National Exhibition’s “kitchen of the future” displayed in Moscow over which an icy debate took place between then Vice President Richard Nixon and Premier of the Soviet Union Nikita Krushchev. Join host Adam Monahan as he traces the history of this Cold War debate and how one viewers’ letter corrected crucial information about the table that witnessed history in the making!

Controversial items are nothing new to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, but when an artist’s study sketch was brought to the show’s 2007 event in Baltimore, MD it seemed unlikely to be one. However, it was because of the bigger picture – literally –a mural created for the state of Indiana by Thomas Hart Benton and unveiled at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair in which lurks a controversy that continues to this day. Join host Adam Monahan as he traces the story of how one artist challenged the era’s standard view of history and insisted that depicting both the good and the bad were important records and lessons for generations to come.

Photos from Admiral Byrd’s famed Antarctic expedition brought in 2021 to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Sands Point, NY reveal rare glimpses into life at the South Pole almost 100 years ago. Join host Adam Monahan as he discovers how science and PR collide in this tale of one man’s quest for fame and a secured place in history and how that compares to modern influencers today.

Gold ingots, retrieved from the ocean floor and appraised on America’s favorite antiques show back in 1999 are now the subject of an international investigation. Apparently, which part of the ocean floor is a pretty big deal… Join host Adam Monahan to find out where these gold bars reside today!

A World War II Navy helmet brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, and used for years as a decorative planter, was revealed to be that of the US Naval officer in charge at Utah Beach during the allied landing in Normandy. Appraiser Jeff Shrader carefully inspected the helmet. What did his analysis along with an archived diary and other accounts from museum experts in two countries reveal about the full heroic story of this U.S. Naval Officer? Join host Adam Monahan as he discovers and memorializes the military life of the helmet’s original owner.

GBH’s Antiques Roadshow is known for mind-blowing valuations, but often the owners and their stories are the true treasures–like Arnold Shapiro, the guest who was responsible for putting Peanuts cartoons on Hallmark greeting cards. Hear more about Arnold’s 12-year relationship with the iconic Charles Schulz and follow the journey of his comic strip collection from six-figure TV appraisal to a permanent home at the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

It is the dream scenario on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow: your object is appraised for more than you ever imagined. But when that object is a beloved family treasure, do you keep or sell? This hypothetical becomes a reality for Theresa after she learns that her inherited New Orleans Art Pottery jardinière, which she personally kept safe during Hurricane Katrina, is worth thousands. Theresa joins host Adam Monahan as she shares her post-show journey and reveals her ultimate decision. 

A collection of 1993 "Magic: The Gathering" Beta cards are appraised on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow for up to $100,000 leaving producers wondering when–and why–did these modern collectibles get so valuable? Host Adam Monahan heads straight to the source for answers: with a trip to a Magic tournament, and an interview with Richard Garfield, the creator of “Magic: The Gathering,” himself!  Watch the appraisal clip at https://www.wgbh.org/podcast/detours.

News that a famous Galileo manuscript at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor was revealed to be a fake raises questions about a similar letter that appeared on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2014. Did the show get it wrong? And how can a fake be so convincing it fools multiple experts? Host Adam Monahan, joined by forgery-sniffing historian Nick Wilding, dig into a world of deception to uncover if the producers are in for a letdown.

In 1965, Gale Sayers was the first-round draft pick for the Chicago Bears, kicking off a history-making NFL career. 41 years later, a bloody, torn up jersey worn by Sayers appears on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow after narrowly being saved from a fate as a cleaning rag. What follows is an epic TV appraisal that leads to a surprise at the auction block. Join host Adam Monahan as he follows the story and, with help from sports writer Fred Mitchell, dives deeper into the life of the football legend along the way. Watch the appraisal clip at https://www.wgbh.org/podcast/detours.

GBH’s Antiques Roadshow has a fair share of characters cross its set, but none like the towering, booming-voiced cowboy who attended the 2018 taping in Tulsa, OK.  With a rare red diamond ring, cowboy Jim sought to learn the gem’s value. But would his $35K gamble pay off big? Join host Adam Monahan as he uncovers the mystery behind red diamonds and the improbable end to this story!

In 2014 a gorgeous painting was brought to GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Bismarck, ND. The appraisal was selected by producers but ultimately cut from the episode before it aired. What made this piece of art so controversial? The late 1800s oil featured a nude woman. Join host Adam Monahan as he uncovers the tricky question of which parts of the body can be shown on broadcast TV and how issues of culture, politics, religion, viewer complaints and FCC regulations all play a role. But does this painting get a second chance on the airwaves?

Longtime folk art expert for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, Wes Cowan, has seen so many unusual items that very little surprises him. But a perplexing apothecary bottle filled with colored sand brought to the show in Hot Springs, AR in 2002 led to his discovery of a 19th century artist with an amazing story and no auction records at that time. Join host Adam Monahan as he uncovers the story of the artist who lost his hearing and speech as a result of a childhood illness and later designed remarkable sand art created grain-by-grain, and the two appraisers who would be transfixed by what happened at auction!

A collection of vintage mousetraps appraised on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in 2016 became eerily relevant as DETOURS host Adam Monahan faced an ongoing war with rats in his own urban backyard. Are these disease-carrying pests or intelligent emotional beings? Join the lively journey tracing back to the earliest forms of traps and efforts to control rat populations along with expert musings from the rat’s point of view on whether there really is a better way to build a mouse trap.

Celebrity letters provide a glimpse into what was happening in that person’s life in a particular moment in time, beyond what the newspapers were printing. When a fiery letter written by legendary star Frank Sinatra was appraised on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Tulsa, OK in 2018 that glimpse revealed a raw response to a letter from a prison chaplain, asking forgiveness for the two men who abducted Sinatra’s son in 1963. What was the one point around the kidnapping deemed unforgivable by the entertainer? Join host Adam Monahan as he digs into the kidnapping and its tragic and lasting aftermath.

It’s a little-known fact that appraisers on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow are not paid to appear on the show. What keeps them on-set for 10+ hour days season after season? The special excitement from coming face-to-face with a once-in-a-lifetime object. So when a guest brought what they thought to be Rodin’s sculpture “Eternal Spring” to the show in Fort Worth, TX, would the piece of art turn out to be an extraordinary find or a fake? Join host Adam Monahan as he uncovers the surprising story of the sculpture and the lasting mark left on two appraisers.

A cast-iron mechanical bank appraised in 1997 and broadcast on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow was resurfaced by producers when reviewing archival content for an upcoming show. The appraisal is strikingly outdated in that it never properly acknowledged an aspect that today feels impossible to ignore – racism. But can an ugly part of history be used to inspire important conversations? Join host Adam Monahan as he seeks to learn from experts about discussing items with offensive historical backgrounds and how a show about the past should approach difficult topics in the future.

When humorist Mo Rocca appeared on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow, he was eager to find out the true identity of a treasured antique store purchase - a bronze-painted plaster bust he long believed was President Grover Cleveland. Though his TV appraisal yielded no answer, the name of the stranger he’s lived with for years has finally been revealed! Join host Adam Monahan on a hilarious journey - which included the New York Times, New York Police Department and Cleveland’s own grandson - to unravel the mystery behind the mustachioed model.

An early-American desk and bookcase set was appraised in 2006 at GBH’s Antiques Roadshow for a whopping $250,000. But was this coveted circa 1775 two-piece secretary a match made in heaven? Join host Adam Monahan as he discovers how a shocking secret revealed after the show making the piece even more rare, along with a powerful new market trend combine to dramatically change the value.

A guest’s experience at GBH’s Antiques Roadshow starts an investigative journey to determine if her family’s heirloom Tongan war club was actually brought to England aboard one of Captain Cook’s ships as family notes suggested. If proven true, the value of the club soars to over $100,000. Join host Adam Monahan to discover what we learned - and how a strange tale from another ship’s captain led to the club’s shocking history and a call for it to be returned to its land of origin.

A tiny portrait of a young Philadelphia woman, not much larger than a pocket watch, memorializes a life lost in 1798 during the Yellow Fever outbreak. Join host Adam Monahan as he explores the tragic story behind the portrait. What does this family heirloom tell us about honoring life and death during a pandemic, and what sad but instructive lessons does history reveal about life in a pandemic that are relevant today?

The producers for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow know - “kids with old stuff make great TV.” And after 25 seasons some of those kids are, well, no longer kids! From dumpster finds to $2 auction buys, join host Adam Monahan as he discovers what happened to these young guests and their famous items, how they became antiquers at such a young age and if any of them are still collecting?

A pair of Tiffany lamps go missing years after appearing on GBH’s Antiques Roadshow. Just how far would someone go to get their hands on these lamps? And just how far would someone else go to get them back? DETOURS host Adam Monahan talks to those close to the story including the private investigator who ultimately cracked the case. See the missing lamps at www.wgbh.org/detours.

In 2015, a guest brought a strange looking pot to the set of GBH’s Antiques Roadshow in Spokane, WA, where an expert appraised it as a “19th century grotesque face jug” worth $30,000 - $50,000. After the episode aired, a viewer contacted the series to share information which shocked producers and wound up in the national news. Find out what they learned and what happened next when DETOURS host Adam Monahan sets out to find answers. See the original full appraisal at www.wgbh.org/detours.

Viewed over 20 million times, the two most popular videos on the YouTube page for GBH’s Antiques Roadshow were posted years apart but are remarkably similar: both feature appraisals of Rolex watches. Why do these timepieces capture the public in a way unlike any other object featured on the show? And what is it like to be the unexpected star of a “viral” video? Join DETOURS host Adam Monahan as he dives deep into the world of vintage watch collecting, both online and off. Watch the Rolex appraisals and more at www.wgbh.org/detours.