1 week Ago By Bethany Whittingham
An Antiques Roadshow guest was left utterly speechless after her book, which she purchased for $5 (£4), was valued at a staggering $12,000 to $18,000 (£9,400 to £14,100). The BBC antiques weekend show is loved up and down the country and quickly became a mainstay following its debut in 1979. The show has since spawned several versions of the programme across the globe, including America and Australia.
Back in the early 2000s, viewers across the pond watched as one guest brought in a first edition children’s book to the long-running show which was filmed in the heart of Texas. Books and manuscripts Francis J. Wahlgren quizzed the proud owner about how to she found the wonderful novel.
She told him: “I actually just got this book out of our attic. When my daughter was young, we found Anne of Green Gables on PBS and once we found that, we fell in love. “My daughter was about 10 years old when we started reading the Anne of Green Gables series and then at a flea market I saw this book and I thought, ‘Perfect! We’ll take it’.
” When she was asked about how much she paid for the programme, the doting mum confessed: “I don’t think it was any more than $5, it’s only a book”. The expert went on to share some of the background behind children’s book. He revealed: “It was written in 1908 by [Lucy] Montgomery.
There were really a lot of boys books up to that time, but that was one of the first girls' books of the day and because of that it had a great audience, it took off and the series followed. “It’s just one of the most beloved girls’ books ever written and it really means a lot to people. And because it is a first edition book, they often didn’t print many copies because the publishers aren’t sure if this thing is going to take off.
“It turns out it was a huge success and everybody wanted the book, but to get a true first edition was very difficult”. The appraiser went on to share some of the key features which pushed up the eye-watering price tag. He pointed out: “The book is dated on the title page 1908 and here it says ‘First Impression, April, 1908.
’ That’s very important because it marks it as the true first edition and for a collector that means everything. “There’s a copy that sold two years ago for $20,000 (£15,600). Copies rarely come up at auction and I’ve only handled three in my career, and this is in equally good condition to that one [that sold at auction].
I would estimate it safely between £12,000 to $18,000 (£9,400 to £14,100)”. The guest immediately gasped in shock as he continued: “You’ve got a real treasure and a book that you love, and I really am grateful that you brought it here to the Roadshow. It’s a very special thing and take good care of it”.
She confessed: “Gosh, now I’m worried. My daughter is not going to believe it. Thank you very much, I appreciate it”.
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