'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'that is a lot of money' after hearing the value of his JFK jacket
Black leather jackets may not seem like the usual artifacts or vintage timepieces that turn up on “Antiques Roadshow,” but sometimes the historical significance of a garment makes all the difference. One such jacket was valued at a ridiculous price since it belonged to the former US President John F Kennedy. His belongings are valued so much to this day because he was one of the most popular presidents in American history.
The expert on the show loved the story of how the jacket came into the guest’s possession and said that at auction, it would sell for $264,000 to $396,000. The guest wasn’t expecting this, even though the jacket’s former owner was JFK. “That is a lot of money,” he said as the crowd around the two was also astounded by how valuable it was.
It turns out that JFK had once visited France, where he had fallen in love with a girl. The two had a relationship that did not last too long, as he had to go back to the United States. After returning home, the former President got married in a matter of months. However, he had left the jacket with the girl he had dated during his time in France, and she never gave it back to him.
The woman had three children and a nephew. The jacket was given to the nephew, and that person was the guest’s father’s best friend. He gave the jacket to his father, and that’s how it ended up with the guest. The guest had also conducted his own research on the conde
“The story is everything. Please write it down, put it in the pocket. I feel confident the market will pay that price,” the expert added. Items belonging to JFK are often valued at high prices. On an earlier episode of the PBS version of “Antiques Roadshow,” one guest brought what she claimed to be the former US President’s briefcase. She said that JFK frequented his uncle’s cobbler shop for shoe shines and one day left the case there. By the time he came back for his next shoe shine, Kennedy had already replaced the briefcase and given the old one as a gift to the guest’s uncle. His initials were stitched on it as well. This was a historic item, and the guest knew that it was going to be worth a good amount of money. As per the expert, an auction estimate for it would be between $20,000 to $30,000.
The expert even called it an important piece of American history, as JFK held the briefcase’s handle and kept his lunch in it. It’s safe to say that the former President is still something of a celebrity.
