'Antiques Roadshow' seller facepalms after expert reveals the stunning value of her iconic TV coat

The viewers of “Antiques Roadshow” are used to watching family heirlooms and vintage artifacts being brought for valuation by experts. But sometimes sports and pop-culture memorabilia also make an appearance to surprise people, including the owners, with their value. One item that caught the attention of many fans and left the guest stunned was a checkered coat from the sitcoms "All In The Family" and "Archie Bunker’s Place" which aired during the ‘70s. The coat belonged to the fictional character Archie Bunker, who was portrayed by the actor Carroll O'Connor.

The guest who brought the coat on the show said that she bought it for $40 from an estate sale at O’Connor’s home, but the actor had passed away 15 years earlier. The sale was hosted by his daughter-in-law and initially, the coat was bought for the guest’s father who was a fan of Archie Bunker. “It just, to me, takes me back to a time when my whole family was together laughing and having a good time," she said.

At the time of filming, the woman said that she used to put on the clothes when she took her dog for walks outside since it was warm. Little did she know the value of the coat she had on her shoulders would astonish her someday. Antique expert Timothy Gordon lauded the condition of the outfit. He said that it was not custom-made for the show and pointed out the American flag lapel, which was crucial in the Archie Bunker show's social statements as per Express US.

"It's an icon. I feel that at auction this is worth $10,000 to $15,000,” he revealed, much to the surprise and joy of the guest, who exclaimed, "No! No! You are kidding me!” Despite not being in a lot of people’s minds these days, Archie Bunker still has an iconic status as a show that was well ahead of its time and did not shy away from questioning racial and sexual stereotypes of the time.

This was not the only pop culture artifact that made it to “Antiques Roadshow.” A couple of such items showed up in an earlier episode of the show from the iconic late-30s movie, "The Wizard of Oz." Decades after its release, the movie remains a cult favorite among movie enthusiasts. One guest brought the spears that belonged to the guards of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The guest said that he had purchased them in California in 1984 for $595. The appraiser informed that these spears were able to pull up to $7,500 each during the ‘90s. At the time of filming the episode, those were valued at $15,000 each. “You have two of them. And two of them would bring in excess of $30,000,” she explained.

“Excellent,” the guest said without acting surprised. It seemed like he had done his own research before coming to the show and expected the amount that the expert suggested.