'Antiques Roadshow' guest gasps in disbelief after learning the value of her $2 item from estate sale
It's not unusual for people to pick up random yet interesting old things, which are up for estate sales at a low price. But, only with the rising popularity of "Antiques Roadshow" have people begun to realize how these artifacts could be a lot more valuable than they thought. Even though appraisals shock people, rarely does the value of an item exceed the expectations of the guest by more than 200 times. This is what happened when a young woman walked in with a copy of "The Lawes Resolutions Of Women’s Rights," which she had discovered in an estate sale for just $2. The appraiser, Martin Gammon, blew the guest's mind as he estimated that the document would be worth a whopping $6,000, which was almost 300 times more than what she paid for it.
In a clip shared from the collection of 'Best Moments' of PBS, the guest shared that she got the old book at a sale, and she wasn't looking to get a huge appraisal on the show. "I got it at an after-estate sale in a box full of other books on the floor, and it was two dollars," she told Gammon, who was surprised to hear the price. The guest further shared that the book entitled "The Lawes Resolutions Of Women’s Rights, or The Lawes, Provision for Women" was supposedly the first one ever published concerning women's rights in the English language. Gammon noted that she was right, and the fact that she found it in an estate sale was amazing. According to the Daily Mail, the book was the first read in the English language to compile laws on the rights of women. It was written by Thomas Edgar and sold by John Grove in 1632. The book features the laws and rights applicable to women on various issues including divorce, polygamy, marriage, and rape, according to the publication.
Gammon also noted that the book was published in 1632 and after examining the condition of the item, he said, "It does have a little bit of damage, as you can see. It's got some staining here. It's also missing, a page at the front, but nevertheless, it's actually in pretty good condition." The appraiser further noted that it was quite a rare book, and two dollars was a fantastic deal for it.
He then asked the guest if she had any idea about the true value of the book. To this, the guest responded, "Well, I'm just hoping to double my money." The appraiser had a big grin on his face as he confirmed with the guest that four dollars was her target. He then shattered the guest's expectations as he revealed that the book was worth much more. "I think we'll be as it probably has an auction estimate, in this condition, of $6,000 to $8,000," he said. The guest let out a loud gasp after hearing the appraisal before saying, "Oh, my God! Are you serious?"
Gammon assured her that he was serious and that it was indeed the true value of the book. In the end, the guest couldn't stop giggling and laughing as the two cheered Women's Rights and her fantastic find on the show. "Women's rights! Wow, woo-hoo!" she said in the end.
