'Antiques Roadshow' guest refused to sell his 'estate sale junk' after expert told him about its value
"Antiques Roadshow" has opened doors for people to make the most of vintage items, collections or even thrift store discoveries by getting them appraised, and ensure exposure as well. One such $45 'junk find' received a $10,000 appraisal on the show after the expert, Nigel Freeman, learned that it was an artwork made by the great Benny Andrews. In the end guest who was looking to get rid of the painting online refused to let it go after learning its true value.
In the episode, the guest shared the story of how he happened to acquire the incredible artwork. "My son and I go to auctions and estate sales looking for junk. It was a rainy morning, and there were box slats out on the grass of this auction. And, uh, nobody wanted to get their feet wet. We really didn't look in the box, you know, the frame looked really nice, so we ended up getting the box for $45," he told Freemen. He added that after letting the box dry up for a couple of days, they found the painting wrapped in an old Saran Wrap with another frame.
The expert was astonished to hear the story of the abuse the artwork had endured and survived. "This is exciting. It's a really beautiful example. You've seen the signature, you know the artist, Benny Andrews. Benny Andrews is a favorite artist of mine, an African-American artist who did incredible work," Freemen told the guest. He further explained that Andrews was an "expressive figurative artist" who started working in the 1950s and passed away in 2006.
"And what's striking about this painting is its beauty, its interest in nature, the yellow dress, the colors," Freeman noted. He further explained that the artist was known for his work in New York, but he was born in Georgia. "A lot of his artwork that people know are images of the South from his childhood. He was a very enterprising, talented young artist," he added.
Coming to the painting, he noted that it was oil with tempera and looked like one of the artist's early works. "It's got a wonderful pattern. It doesn't have his collage, which he's really known for in the late '60s, but it's got a lot going for it. The size, the early interest in color, the pattern. And probably another image from his childhood," he explained. He added that there weren't many works of the artist from the early 60s in the market, which makes it even more special.
Coming to the subject of the painting, Freeman explained that the woman in the yellow dress is "a zinger" that is meant to draw eyes. When the expert asked if the guest had any idea about the value of the painting, he told Freeman that someone showed interest in it online, but he had no idea how much to sell it for.
To this, the expert responded, "I would put it at auction, conservatively, at $7,000 to $10,000." The number blew the guest's mind as he gasped for air before saying, "You're freakin' kidding me. All right, well, guess it's not going online."
In the end, the appraiser congratulated the guest for the amazing estate sale find and thanked him for bringing the incredible artwork to the show.
