'Antiques Roadshow' guest almost in tears after expert revealed the value of her Superman figure
When someone mentions an antique, the first thing to come to mind is a rare artifact, furniture, or even old coins. But action figures are the last thing someone can associate with that word, although they've become valuable among collectors. This was proven when a beat-up Superman action figure, which was passed down to a guest in her family, fetched a massive appraisal on "Antiques Roadshow." The show's expert, Travis Landry, noted that it was a promotional figure and it was worth about $3,000 to $5,000. The guest who was supposed to be on the show with her mother nearly broke down into tears, mentioning that her mom would cry too if she were there.
In the episode, the guest shared that the action figure had a long history in her family and was passed down to many generations. "My great-grandfather ran a boarding house, and when he passed away in the 1990s, my father and his siblings went through the piles of stuff that had accumulated through the years. My dad and his siblings found three Supermans, and my dad got this one," she told Landry.
She further added that the action figure probably spent 20-plus years in a shoe box, but she was hoping that after the appraisal, she would find a better spot for it. Looking at the item, Landry noted that the figure wasn't an ordinary item but a 1942 DC Comics Promotional Superman Figure. He noted that the piece was made as a retailer incentive to promote DC Comics. He further explained that it was made of Syroco Wood, which was invented in New York in the late 19th century. "And what they would do is, they would take a wood pulp and mush it into a mold, let it harden. It was to create a faster track instead of actually carving wood," he explained.
He further noted that the condition of the action figure was great given its age. "Now, when we look at this figure compared to the fully painted example, we only have paint applications on his hair, face, chest, pants, and boots. Condition-wise, I consider him rather remarkable," he said. He noted that the figure had retained a lot of its original paint, and it had no chips or damage either. "In terms of DC Comic history, collecting Superman and DC novelties, it literally does not get better than this," he commented.
Coming to the appraisal, Landry estimated that the figure could bring $3,000 to $5,000 at auction. This surprised the guest, who got busy collecting her jaw off the floor. "Mom and Dad are going to be really happy. That's awesome," she said. In her interview, she further noted that she would have to tell her uncles about the appraisal as well, since they might have the remaining two figures. To add to her delight, Landry repeated that he was being conservative and the item could bring much more.
"My mom and I were supposed to come here together, but she was not able to attend today, so I'm really happy to share this news with her. She might cry," the guest said in the end.
