ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'holy money' after expert revealed the value of his Batman painting

The painting was the artist's take on a scene from the 1966 Batman movie starring Adam West.
PUBLISHED JUN 5, 2025
Screenshot showing the guest (L) and the expert with the painting on "Antiques Roadshow." (Cover image source: YouTube | Antiques Roadshow PBS)
Screenshot showing the guest (L) and the expert with the painting on "Antiques Roadshow." (Cover image source: YouTube | Antiques Roadshow PBS)

When Batman is mentioned, one would instantly think of a comic book collection, action figures, or movie merch. But on “Antiques Roadshow,” a guest turned up with a painting depicting a scene from a 1966 movie about the 'Caped Crusader.' The guest said that he had paid a thousand dollars to purchase the painting, and upon hearing its new value, he said, “Holy money,” in disbelief. 

The painting depicted a scene from the movie, but the artist took creative liberty and made it into a rather scandalous piece of art. “I don’t really remember there being such a debaucherous scene in the movie,” the expert Laura Wooley said. “I think he’s kind of used artistic license to depict the scene, and we see a lot of drinking and lots of fun going on.” Despite the nature of the painting, Wooley absolutely loved the artist's take on it.

Screenshot showing the painting. (Image credit: YouTube | Antiques Roadshow PBS)
Screenshot showing the painting. (Image source: YouTube | Antiques Roadshow PBS)

There was no signature on the painting, but the expert revealed that the artist who worked on all of the Batman series at the time, and the film, was Leslie Thomas. When Wooley learned that the guest had paid $1,000, she said that it was a good deal, as a lot of Thomas’s work had not made it to the market, and that production art was an emerging area of interest for collectors.

When the time came to place a value on the painting, Wooley said that a conservative value would be around $6,000 to $8,000. “I would not be shocked at all if it went well beyond that,” she added. That’s when the guest had a stunned reaction. “I mean, the market for Batman continues to grow. He’s one of the beloved comic book figures, and Adam West Batman, I think, is everyone’s favorite Batman,” she added.



 

Batman may be the most popular DC Comics character today, but the age of superheroes would never have come about without the original superhero, Superman. One guest, on an earlier episode of “Antiques Roadshow,” brought one of the first ever Superman figures ever made, and she was left emotional after hearing its appraisal value. Even the expert could not believe what he was seeing.

Three such figures were found in the guest’s great-grandfather’s boarding house. “There are a lot of Superman figures. This is the Superman figure,” the expert said. “This is not something you could buy. This would have been a retailer incentive to promote DC Comics.” The expert tried to remain as professional as possible, but he was clearly a superhero geek and couldn’t help but “freak out.”



 

When the time came for its appraisal, the guest said that the figure at auction could conservatively sell for $3,000 to $5,000. The guest wasn’t expecting this at all and got a little emotional. “Mom and Dad are gonna be really happy. That’s awesome. Have to tell the uncles too,” she said, trying to keep her bearings about her.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
None of the three contestants wagered anything in the final round, which was a first.
58 minutes ago
Cuban was excited to try them on and did a good job despite not having too much experience.
2 hours ago
The contestant, Christina Derevjanik became the biggest winner ever in the show's history.
23 hours ago
The guest reduced his asking price by $40,000 and it still wasn't enough to convince Harrison.
1 day ago
The contestant had her mother and sister with her, both of whom were also emotional.
1 day ago
Fans made their opinions clear under an Instagram reel posted by the show's official handle.
1 day ago
The contestant said she worked in hair loss prevention, which Harvey clearly knows nothing about.
1 day ago
The guest who impulsively picked up the LeRoy Neiman painting had no idea of its significance.
1 day ago
It was a heartwarming moment on the show, and even Steve Harvey had a big smile on his face.
2 days ago
The contestant, Talia MacLean could barely hold her emotions after playing a perfect game.
2 days ago
The guest wanted a six-figure sum for all three rings but Harrison did not even offer half of that.
2 days ago
The contestant played a fantastic game despite falling behind in the early going.
2 days ago
Herjavec was the only one who believed that he could make the business go big.
3 days ago
Steve Harvey had never heard of the team the contestant and sadi, and his reaction was priceless.
3 days ago
The contestant made the unusual choice because of a deal she had with a loved one.
3 days ago
The guest had received it from a cousin, who had bought it in Paris during World War II.
4 days ago
It was a fantastic solve for the contestant as the puzzle did not look easy.
4 days ago
Not only was the signature authentic, but also rare, as it was a full autograph on a personal document.
4 days ago
The guest wanted a lot less for the items and was happy to get a some extra cash.
4 days ago
Steve Harvey asked the contestant, Andrea, to demonstrate her answer, and that's exactly what she did.
5 days ago