‘Worthless’ Antique Makes Appraiser Break Down

Leave, Now She braced herself as the appraiser looked over her statue with a thrilled glimmer in his eyes. But as he flipped it over and ran his fingers over the base, his expression changed. He fixed his unreadable stare on her and then said something she would have never imagined – he told her she needed to leave. Scorching Drive YouTube/Antiques Road Show Linda Daniels cranked the air conditioner as she felt another unpleasant trickle of sweat crawl its way down her back. The New Mexico summer had been relentless, and she wanted nothing more than to stay inside with her family, but something special had arrived in town that she just couldn’t pass up. Big Fan Wikimedia Commons She had been a fan of the famous Antiques Road Show for as long as she could remember. So, when the show announced they would be stopping by her hometown of Albuquerque, she felt like she would pass out from excitement. She also knew exactly what she wanted to get appraised. Family Statue Wikimedia Commons The beautifully carved stone lion was purchased by her mother decades ago while on a trip to China. The story was Linda’s mother had stumbled a little antiques store while wandering the quaint streets of a small town near Beijing and saw the thing being used as a door stop. Passed Down YouTube/Antiques Road Show The mother who had sold it to her was thrilled to finally be rid of the heavy thing – and to take the $200 to go towards her family. Since then, it had been something Linda’s mother deemed a new family tradition. The statue would be passed down from mother to daughter – and Linda wanted to know exactly what she would be handing down to her own daughter. But she had no idea of what was about to happen. Enormous Crowd Journal Star However, when Linda pulled into the parking lot, her stomach twisted into painful knots. It was packed like nothing she had ever seen before. She knew the show would bring out throngs of people – but there were thousands, and all of them carrying treasures they hoped would be worth something more than the sentimental value. Eyes On Her Lion YouTube/Antiques Road Show Still, she clutched the heavy lion and took her place in the long line. Appraisers wandered up and down the throngs of people, their keen, vulture-like gazes on whatever object caught their attention. A few people were pulled out of the crowd and quickly ushered in front of the cameras. Clearly, their items were worth something. But when one of them looked right at Linda, her heart stared beating like a jackhammer. The Perfect Expert YouTube/Antiques Road Show She immediately recognized the man in a neat, grey suit and colorful bow tie. His name was Lark Mason, and he was an expert in Chinese antiquities. So, when he jogged up to her, set his eyes on the statue, and begged her to follow him, she knew she was holding onto something special. Loss For Words YouTube/Antiques Road Show Only minutes later, Linda found herself standing in front of a rolling camera. To say there were butterflies in her stomach was an understatement. Mason pointed to the stone lion, his fingers shaking. He said, “Okay. Well, I’ll start out by saying when this came up, I could barely…” His voice broke and tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Stunning Craftsmanship YouTube/Antiques Road Show Linda stood there motionless, not even breathing. He continued, “This is among the finest examples of Chinese art that we have seen on the Roadshow. The carving is beautiful. The workmanship is stunning.” He then asked about how she had come by it. As she recalled her mother’s story, his eyes went wide in shock. High Quality Materials YouTube/Antiques Road Show Clearly, the mother who had sold it had no idea of its value. Then again, neither did Linda’s mother. Mason ran his fingers along the rippling muscles of the lion’s back. It wasn’t any old stone. It was marble, and very high-quality too, basically the best anyone could get their hands on. The dollar value Linda had been holding in her mind instantly skyrocketed. Very Old Wikimedia Commons Mason added, “This dates back to the golden period of Chinese art, which is called the Tang dynasty — between the 6th century and the 9th century.” While he had seen other fine examples, he had never seen one that large. But then he turned it over to show her the chisel marks on the base. “You need to leave right now,” he said. It Belongs In A Museum YouTube/Antiques Road Show “If you don’t plan on selling this, you need insurance immediately. This isn’t just a fine piece … it’s museum quality. It could easily fetch between $120,000 to $180,000.” Linda gripped the edge of the table, trying not to collapse. Their family had been sitting on a small fortune the entire time! But the biggest question still hung in the air. Keep Or Sell? YouTube/Antiques Road Show Was she going to sell it? It was clear that Mason was salivating over the piece and would jump at the chance to help her. But then she thought back on her mother’s actions. The marble lion was given to her with the hope it would be passed down through the generations. In the end, she decided to keep it. Driving back home, however, was a nerve-wracking ordeal. Being Extra Careful YouTube/Antiques Road Show It felt like very bump was an earthquake – one that would shatter the statue beyond repair. She knew the moment she got home, she would do as Mason suggested. And thanks to the business card he gave her, getting it insured would be a breeze. The post ‘Worthless’ Antique Makes Appraiser Break Down appeared first on Top5. Source link

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