The 10 Strangest and Most Unexpected Items Ever On 'Antiques Roadshow'

Antiques Roadshow has been on the air for 29 years, and in that time it's uncovered some pretty spectacular things.

Published 4 months ago in Wow

Antiques Roadshow has been on the air for 29 years, and in that time it's uncovered some pretty spectacular items. But while everyone wants to see the big money valuations, some "cheaper" items are just as cool.

Here are 10 of the strangest and unexpected items ever featured on Antiques Roadshow.

1
Monopoly
When notorious British criminal Ronnie Biggs committed The Great Train Robbery of 1963, he did so with some experience buying and selling railroads… in Monopoly. This board was used by Ronnie and other criminals, who played with real money. Unfortunately, it was only valued at a few hundred pounds, so that profit wouldn’t come from criminal activity. Borning.

2
Photos of Fairies
1917 photos by Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths allegedly prove the existence of fairies. Despite support from Arthur Conan Doyle, the photos are obviously fake. However, Frances’ granddaughter had the phony collection valued at 25 thousand pounds on the roadshow.

3
Navajo Ute First Phase Blanket
In 2001, a man in Tuscon Arizona brought in a blanket previously owned by Kit Carson, an American frontiersman, and “Indian fighter.” Unbeknownst to him, it was actually a valuable Navajo blanket from the early 1800s. That earned it an appraisal of $500,000 in 2001, which has been updated to $1.5 - 2 million.
4
Banksy Painting
When a painting mysteriously turned up on the doorstep of a boys club in Bristol, it was a meaningless mystery. However, the painting turned out to be “Mobile Lovers,” a piece by the social activist artist Banksy, and was valued at 400,000 pounds. This money saved the boy’s club.

5
Wizard of Oz Spears
Collectors love official movie props, but pieces from the 1939 classic are certainly hard to come by. These spears, used by the Wicked Witch’s guards, were valued at $30,000.
6
1912 Polar Expedition Photobook
A British couple struck gold while digging a foundation for a house, in the form of a lost photobook. The book documented Robert Falcon Scott’s fated 1912 polar expedition. While the group successfully made it to the South Pole, they perished on the way back. The collection was valued at five thousand quid on the show in 1997.
7
John F Kennedy’s Jacket
The 35th US president is the stuff of legends, and this jacket is as mysterious as they come. Kept by a Swedish girlfriend of his in the 1950s, it was valued between 200 and 300 thousand dollars.

8
Steiff Teddy Bear
How much is a teddy bear worth? It depends how many were made, and why. This Steiff Titanic commemorative teddy bear is one of only 600, and was valued at 200,000 pounds, much to the surprise of its owner.
9
Boston Red Stockings Relics
It rarely pays to be a sports collector, but things worked out for one woman in a 2014 New York episode. Claiming that her great-great-grandmother had housed the 1871-1872 Boston Red Stockings in her boarding house, she produced a stunning collection of original baseball and lineup cards. This collection was given a $1 million appraisal.
10
Seymour Card Table
This card table, designed and built by John Seymour and his son Thomas, was valued at $250,000. Sporting great detail, the table was built in Boston in 1794.