PBS’S Antique Roadshow -1952 Esquire

[brindlepicker]

My wife was watching an episode on her phone beside me and this item came up.

#0349 had been bought new by her father and was given to her husband. Sat for a lot of years

Insurance was suggested for $40,000 in 2020.
The appraiser mentioned that these guitars were played by famous musicians such as Stephen Stills and David Bromberg. I had to look up Bromberg playing one.

 

[fenderchamp]

I've seen quite a few cool guitars and heard a few good stories over the years on the Roadshow.

I love that show, I even got in an argument one time over something I heard on the Roadshow. Dude was offended, I think he's still in my ignore list. I wonder if he's still active on here, I can't remember the username or anything.

 

[bterry]

They occasionally get some cool old guitars on there but they always undervalue them!

 

[old wrench]

My old gal enjoys watching Antiques Road Show too.

She'll always give me a holler when a guitar comes up.

They've had some real beauties over the years.


We've been contributing members of PBS for a long time - lots of excellent programs

Ken Burns documentary series are always great - no matter what the subject might be


.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Bromberg

DB has owned pretty much any classic guitar one could think of, but with an emphasis on acoustic instruments. His solo albums are very good indeed.

 

[Red Ryder]

They occasionally get some cool old guitars on there but they always undervalue them!

Actually I think they are probably closer to the real price value. You constantly see old guitars that are priced sky high because apparently they are old so there can't be that many left. Then you can go to the Dallas International Guitar Show and see a giant building full of old stuff. Try and sell your guitar to dealer with booth and you will quickly find out why your sunburst Fender whatnot isn't worth what they have even though they are exactly the same.

 

[Lonn]

My wife and I took some items to the Roadshow in Chicago many years ago. The most fun part was talking to the other people in line about their items and stories and the line was HOURS. When we finally got to the "experts" they had no idea what they were talking about. I knew some indisputable timeline facts about what we had and 3 different guys told us we had 3 different stories for what they were and how old they were. BY the time we saw the experts they were ready to be back at their hotels and were just pushing people through. There were other experts picking people out of the lines if they thought they might have something special.

 

[2HBStrat]

My wife was watching an episode on her phone beside me and this item came up.

#0349 had been bought new by her father and was given to her husband. Sat for a lot of years

View attachment 1186250View attachment 1186251View attachment 1186252
Insurance was suggested for $40,000 in 2020.
The appraiser mentioned that these guitars were played by famous musicians such as Stephen Stills and David Bromberg. I had to look up Bromberg playing one.

I thought the earliest Fender electric guitars had regular screws, not Phillips head screws?

 

[trapdoor2]

I thought the earliest Fender electric guitars had regular screws, not Phillips head screws?

Transitional period from 1951-1953 for Phillips.

 

[bterry]

Actually I think they are probably closer to the real price value. You constantly see old guitars that are priced sky high because apparently they are old so there can't be that many left. Then you can go to the Dallas International Guitar Show and see a giant building full of old stuff. Try and sell your guitar to dealer with booth and you will quickly find out why your sunburst Fender whatnot isn't worth what they have even though they are exactly the same.

Well, I wouldn’t settle for that kind of treatment if I were you. Back in 2020 nice Blackguard ‘52s w/ OHSC were selling around $60k. Hell, I sold a clean ‘52 Esquire that year for $50k…they’ve all gone way up since then.

 

[brindlepicker]

I thought the earliest Fender electric guitars had regular screws, not Phillips head screws?

@bterry
The top 2 on the photo also look rusty compared to the bottom 2 unless it’s my photo of her screen. Would a neck from 52 show as glossy as that one shows.

He didn’t take it apart any and just went by the pickup date.

And it was appraised at $35K in 2006 with 2020 update of $40K

Here’s a couple more photos

 

[OldTelePlayer]

I like Antiques Roadshow.... both the US and UK versions. Its interesting some of the things people bring in and sometimes the person is more interesting than the item.

I like how they will say "at auction with the right buyers"... this is an important distinction when talking about a dollar value.

Then there is always the finely refinished ancient table... "worth $5,000 but if you hadn't refinished it maybe $15,000. But a great refinishing job." And the gizmo somebody got at a yard sale for $2 that's actually worth maybe $1200... at auction with the right buyers of course. Fun stuff.

I think for things like vintage guitars, art and whatnot that actually requires more than just a quick look when they think they might have something really valuable here, they will take the time to examine it more closely. We just don't see all that on camera. I would think they don't want to be embarrassed misjudging something due to a quick look. I don't know, but it just makes sense to me.

Sometimes they seem off a bit in value but.....

at auction with the right buyers....

 

[Killing Floor]

Bromberg and Stills

Cool find.

 

[schmee]

I just cant figure the values, not that they are wrong. But just weird. Same thing watching Pawn Stars. Something like a 1930's ceramic pot will be worth $15k and a coin from 2000 years ago, like a Roman coin, worth $200 .... huh?

 

[trapdoor2]

I just cant figure the values, not that they are wrong. But just weird. Same thing watching Pawn Stars. Something like a 1930's ceramic pot will be worth $15k and a coin from 2000 years ago, like a Roman coin, worth $200 .... huh?

Although most ceramics have taken a steep dive, certain individual pieces will always have value. I wouldn't consider investing in any ceramics, glass or furniture (although mid-20th century is doing well). The last few generations are just not interested. My 40-something niece always says, "Brown furniture? Oh, barf!" Her dad and step-mom collected Depression Glass...now virtually worthless. They have a storage unit chock full. She'll dump it for pennies when they die.

There are a huge number of Roman coins on the market. Supply/demand keeps the values for common ones low. Miz Diane has one that is like from 300BC...and it was less than $50 w/certs. Coin collectors (and stamp collectors) are a dying breed.

Antiques Roadshow makes mistakes, they're human. Some of those show up in the later review shows ($20K in 2006, oops...not worth anything in 2020). Pawn Stars is entertainment, prop items from local museums, actors "selling". I quit watching years ago.

 

[Red Ryder]

Well, I wouldn’t settle for that kind of treatment if I were you. Back in 2020 nice Blackguard ‘52s w/ OHSC were selling around $60k. Hell, I sold a clean ‘52 Esquire that year for $50k…they’ve all gone way up since then.

I've never bought or sold a guitar at the Dallas show. I always went for the music and visiting with Rick Derringer, a wonderful person who appreciates his fans. I did go one year with a friend who is a collector. As we watched a dealer trying to gouge a young man with a beautiful SG my buddy got upset over it. He calmly walked up, asked the kid "how much did you say" and peeled off hundred dollar bills. The dealer made a few obscene remarks about cutting his deal to which my friend invited him to step outside and finish the conversation. He declined win, win for wveryone

 

[old wrench]

My little brother (RIP) was heavy into the antiques

In the run-up to the 2007 depression just about everything antique was way over-valued

Most antique prices took a deep dive and most of them haven't recovered their value

One notable exception is Chinese antiques - their value has really increased due to the emergence of a new Chinese middle-class


.

 

[AlbertaGriff]

My little brother (RIP) was heavy into the antiques

In the run-up to the 2007 depression just about everything antique was way over-valued

Most antique prices took a deep dive and most of them haven't recovered their value

One notable exception is Chinese antiques - their value has really increased due to the emergence of a new Chinese middle-class


.

The episodes of Antiques Roadshow running on my local PBS now are from 2023 - but they are reusing episodes from 2007/2008 and just adjusting the values. The vast majority are far lower now, and it is comical how often you hear the phrase "the value of xxxxxxxx has gone through the roof lately".

 

[Dik Ellis]

I love the show. The wife hates it.

 

[moosie]

I always keep in mind the show is ... entertainment. First and foremost. I wouldn't go there for a serious information about a guitar. I'd expect many of us here would know more.

Kinda like an upscale version of Pawn Stars