Antiques Roadshow guest chokes back tears after discovering the HUGE value of her childhood teddy bear…which she kept in a tote bag
An Antiques Roadshow guest was left in tears after discovering the immense value of her childhood teddy bear, which was kept in a carrier bag for years.
Sunday’s Christmas special featured only toys, as the audience and experts shared their favorite play things from the past.
And one lady brought along a bear that turned out to be incredibly rare and made by Steiff, now known for making teddies for the luxury brand Louis Vuitton.
Revealing how she came to own the item, the lady explained: ‘It belonged to my great aunt and when she passed away it went to my mother and now I am currently the custodian of it.’
The furry bear also hosted a water fight and left expert Bunny Campione almost speechless as she clapped his eyes.
An Antiques Roadshow guest (L) was left in tears after discovering the immense value of her childhood teddy bear, which was kept in a carrier bag for years. (photo with expert Bunny Campione, right)
One lady brought in a bear that turned out to be incredibly rare and made by Steiff, known for making teddies for the luxury brand Louis Vuitton
Saying: Well, I have to admit that I hope I wasn’t too startled when I saw you come to my table. I think I screamed, didn’t I?’
An excited bunny then praised the item before finally giving her stunning rating.
‘So we’re talking about a Steiff teddy bear, circa 1904, incredibly rare colour, a rare size as most were smaller than this, and worth £15,000.’
Totally shocked and awestruck, the guest asked, “What 15?” before admitting: ‘It’s just in a bag in the wardrobe.’
It comes after another guest was previously shocked to discover the value of an old broken watch her father picked up from an army store for just £20.
In one episode, members of the public brought their worldly goods to Powis Castle in Wales, with one woman keen to learn more about the timepiece from expert Richard Price – who labeled it the ‘rarest of them all’.
The lady explained that she thought it was a World War II pilot’s watch and was relieved to discover she had been right.
Richard explained that the item had actually been used by the Luftwaffe, the German air force, and would have had a large leather strap – which was now missing.
An excited bunny then praised the item before eventually giving her a stunning £15,000 rating.
Totally shocked and awestruck, the guest asked, “What 15?” before admitting: ‘It’s just been in a bag in the closet’
Going on to say that if it were made by A. Lange & Söhne, a German company that supplied timepieces to the Nazis, it would significantly increase the price.
Then he opened the watch and said, ‘Joy of joy, it’s A. Lange & Söhne [all collectors] want to’.
Richard then concluded that the item was from 1941 and said that the reason it was so rare and in such high demand was because the company’s factory was bombed in 1945.
The lady, stunned by the news, said how her father had picked it up in Weymouth for £20 in the early 1970s and how he loved rummaging around in old shops.
Before you ask: ‘Was it a good buy?’
‘Quite a good buy,’ exclaimed Richard, ‘I think I’d be quite happy if I’d paid £20.’
He again referred to the ‘rarest items’ that ‘all collectors want’ before revealing it was worth between £8,000 and £10,000.
Completely shocked, the lady joked: ‘Maybe I won’t take him home [my father].