'Antiques Roadshow' guest simply refuses to believe his wife's $50 dress could be worth a fortune
"Antiques Roadshow" guests are usually clueless about the actual value of the items they bring to the show, even after some of them conduct their own research. Once the expert reveals what their heirloom or artifact is worth, the reactions vary, ranging from shock to an emotional outburst. But a man who walked in with a Fortuny Delphos Gown belonging to his wife, which he got for $50, simply wasn't ready to accept the appraisal by expert Katy Kane, which placed the dress's price at $15,000.
In the episode of the PBS show, the guest shared that his wife liked to collect great pieces of clothing, and she got the dress decades ago. We lived in Massachusetts in the mid-'70s. And we were at a small show, and she got talking to an elderly woman about the fact she loves [collecting clothes] And the lady said, 'I have something to show you'" the guest recalled. He then shared that the woman brought back a book called Pavlova with her, and she showed his wife a dress that she wanted to sell. "And my wife said, 'My God, that's gorgeous,'" he added, before revealing that she quickly bought the dress for $50, along with the magazine for $2.
Kane then took over to explain the story behind the dress. "You have a beautiful Fortuny Delphos dress, which is made in Italy by Mariano Fortuny," she told the guest. She further explained that the creator was famous for developing a unique process for pleating, and he made dresses using the technique from 1907 until
1949, when he passed away. "And no one has been able to duplicate the pleating process," she shared.
The expert noted that Fortuny signed all of his pieces, and the dress in front of her was also signed vertically on the back seam in red lettering. Speaking of the material, Kane shared that it is made out of Chinese silk, and the pleating was so delicate that it can't be dry cleaned or washed. "If you go to a dinner party and sit down too long, the pleats are going to flatten out," Kane said.
Luckily, the guest's wife had beautifully preserved the dress, which kept its value intact. "They're amazingly sexy for such an early dress. Very form-fitting," Kane noted. She further explained that the cords used for adjusting the neckline were trimmed with "Venetian glass beads," as the creator was in Venice when he made it.
Coming to the valuation, Kane shared just how excited she was to see the dress. "I was just thrilled to see you bring it in. It is truly stunning," she said. The guest told her that he had never seen a form like this before, and now he finally understood why his wife loved the dress so much. "It's as timeless now and as attractive at a party now, you know? And it's a dress that you don't really need to wear anything underneath. This dress is in really good condition," Kane noted. She added that these dresses were quite rare and in demand. Thus, she estimated that the retail price of the dress would be $15,000 to $18,000.
The guest was in utter disbelief as he said, "I'm terribly sorry, $15,000 to $18,000?" When Kane reassured him, all he could say was, "I am never going to be able to talk to my wife again."
