'Antiques Roadshow' seller stunned after expert tells her value of baseball cards hidden in a cigar box

Guests on “Antiques Roadshow” bring heirlooms, rare artifacts, and paintings, that are often worth a lot more than what people think. But while collectibles such as playing cards, comic books, and toys are known to be sought-after, few expect them to be worth the same amount of money as rare art or long-lost treasures. But one guest, who came to "Antiques Roadshow" in Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts, had no idea that she had struck gold by unhearthing vintage baseball cards hidden in a cigar box, as per The Express.

What she had was a set of Leaf Baseball Cards, which dated back to 1948. That was a significant year since sports was gradually making a comeback to television screens across America after World War II. What impressed antique expert Simeon Lipman was the conditions of the cards. They were all “pack fresh” and belonged to the woman’s father.

The board looked like a recreation of the MLB Hall of Fame as it featured Babe Ruth, Joe Di Maggio, John Wagner, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Jackie Robinson. As Lipman mentioned the price of each player card, the woman was surprised and excited every single time. The Wagner card would sell for $500 in today’s market, while the card for Williams, who had come back from the war at the time, was valued at $1,500 to $2,000. Di Maggio was also one of those players who had come back from the war and his card was worth $2,500 to $3,000. Musial’s cards were rookie cards and they would sell for $3,000 each as per the expert and the Babe Ruth cards were also valued at $3,000 each.

But the crown jewels hidden in the pack were the Jackie Robinson cards. He was the first-ever African-American player to play in the MLB. "The most important card in the set, the rookie card of one of the most important people of the 20th century, Jackie Robinson,” Lipman said. He then revealed that Robinson's cards would sell for a whopping $15,000 to $20,000 each.

This was enough to bring a smile to the guest’s face but she hadn’t heard the full valuation of what she possessed. In total, the baseball card collection found in a cigar box under a stack of sweaters was worth $150,000. "Well, I guess, a safety deposit box instead of a bureau," the guest chuckled.

Vintage baseball items are not uncommon on “Antiques Roadshow” but few can be considered special. One such item was a signed Joe Di Maggio bat. According to the guest, who had met the legendary ball player, it was his “bread and butter bat.” He had bought the bat in an auction back in the day for $147.

“Well, you got my bread-and-butter bat. I get a shipment and I go through the bats and pick the one that feels good. I dip it in olive oil, and I sprinkle rosin on it, and then I put it under a flame. When it sets, I sand it smooth," the MLB legend once told the guest as per Yahoo. DiMaggio, who played 13 seasons with the New York Yankees, is considered one of the greatest hitters of all time, with an incredible 56-game hitting streak, a record that stands to this day.

According to antique expert Grant Zahajko, that particular bat in today’s market could fetch something in the $80,000 to $100,000 range. “Awesome. That’s great to hear,” the guest said upon learning about the valuation of the legendary bat.