'Antiques Roadshow' seller gasps in disbelief after expert reveals the value of her family heirloom
Family heirlooms aren't just valuable because of the sentiments attached to them, but they are worth a significant amount of money as well. A lot of people spend entire lifetimes without ever realizing how valuable the items passed down to them are. "Antiques Roadshow" is changing this as a large number of people are bringing their family heirlooms on the show, and the appraisals by experts are leaving them stunned. One such guest brought a magnificent painting made by the famous artist Fern Coppedge, which she inherited from her grandfather, and was left breathless after learning its six-figure value.
In the episode, the guest, a middle-aged woman, brought a 1925 oil painting that she received from her grandparents. She shared that her grandfather was a surgeon in Philadelphia and one his patients was the artist Fern Coppedge, who presented the painting to the guest's grandfather as a gift. “I believe that this painting was something that Fern gave my grandfather in gratitude for the surgery that he performed on her,” she told the expert, Alasdair Nichol. The expert told the guest that the artist was known as the “best woman artist” of a group called the Pennsylvania Impressionists. The guest added that she knew something about the painting as she was told that the painting recreates a place called Goat Hill, where the artist lived in Pennsylvania.
Nichol then examined the painting and educated the guest about its significance. He explained that it was a “winter landscape,” which was very much in demand at the time. “I think this is an absolute gem,” he remarked, saying that the painting was quite different from the rest of Coppedge's paintings.
The expert noted that the artist was one of the greatest of her time and she would recreate beautiful scenarios, sitting outside in her car for hours. He explained that the scenery in the painting was remarkable as it was created on a 30 by 36-inch canvas, which was larger than usual for Coppedge.
The guest then added that the frame of the painting wasn't original since she had it replaced. However, the expert didn't think it would affect the value as the new frame presented the painting well. Coming down to the numbers, Nichol asked the guest if she knew anything about its value. The guest told him that she had absolutely no idea. As the expert said, “At auction, I’d feel very comfortable with an estimate of $120,000 to $180,000,” he took the guest's breath away. The guest put her hand on her chest and asked the expert to say the number again as she couldn't believe it.
Nichol reiterated himself adding that he believed that the painting could even fetch $200,000 at an auction. “Oh my goodness, you’re taking my breath away," the guest said in response.
The guest confirmed that she was indeed "totally stunned." She shared that she didn't even think of bringing the painting to the show and that it was a last-minute decision. She then thanked the appraiser and god for making her choose well.
