Man is stunned to learn his old watch is worth $250,000

[matcom]

<snip>

Toting trinkets, treasures and tchotchkes, the "Antiques Roadshow" faithful stood in line for three hours or longer Saturday at St. Paul RiverCentre to have their possessions inspected.

Most were like George Power of St. Paul, who hefted a 30-pound leather pig on a bus bound for downtown in the morning, just to see how much it might bring. Estimated worth: $75.

But then there was Robert Power, a plastics engineer from Amery, Wis.

"We always watch the 'Antiques Roadshow,' " Power said of his wife, Teri. "It's an interesting show to watch because people bring interesting things, and most people don't have a clue of what they've got. We signed up for tickets, and lucked out and got some, and thought this watch would be something interesting to bring."

How interesting? Try $250,000 worth.

"It has chimes, dates, calendars, moons, all kinds of things inside. I just wanted to see what kind of a watch it was, and after they looked at it, the watch guys there just started shaking," Power said.

It had been sitting in a safety deposit box for years: His great-grandfather George Thompson — once an owner of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, as it happens — had been presented the watch as an award before he died in 1917.

The watch has been a family heirloom since then. Power said he'd had it appraised about 15 years ago, for about $6,000 at the time. "I thought it was worth maybe $25,000 or so," he said.

But it turned out to be one of the single most valuable finds in the nine-year history of "Antiques Roadshow," according to publicist Judy Matthews. She could only remember two objects, an authentic Navajo blanket and a table in New York, that had been appraised more highly.

"It was definitely the find of the day," Matthews said.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/9027051.htm?1c

[GOPisEvil]

1. I was hoping to find something in the attic of my house.

All that's up there is dust and insulation. x(

[supernova]

2. That's what keeps me going to the flea market

and out of the way auction houses. Wow!

I remember the table episode. That was just crazy. It was a tea table that had been sitting in somebody's crowded basement for 50 years. :crazy:

Can't wait to watch this episode! :D

[amazona]

3. I'm rather skeptical I'm afraid

...appraised price generally has no relation to what you can actually sell something for. Unfortunately the link required registration so I couldn't find out if the guy was actually paid that price for the watch.

I've had several friends who had pearl necklaces their fathers/grandfathers brought back from Japan during World War 2 appraised at $100,000 or in that range. Actual sale price was a few hundred dollars if they could sell at all. So I've become quite cynical!