Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest struggles to breathe after expert reveals the staggering value of her item (marketrealist.com)
Salt Lake City, UT – A recent episode of Antiques Roadshow, filmed in Utah, featured a heartwarming and emotional discovery. A guest brought in an 1844 Bellows Falls hymnal, a relic of the early Latter-day Saint (LDS) church, unknowingly possessing a piece of history worth a small fortune.
The guest explained that the hymnal belonged to her great-great-grandmother and had been stored in the family basement for generations. She admitted to knowing little about the book’s origins or significance.
Appraiser Ken Sanders, a rare book expert, carefully examined the hymnal, noting its rarity. He explained that early LDS hymnals are scarce because, unlike scriptures, they were often discarded when worn.
This particular hymnal, he revealed, was one of the earliest produced by the church, printed just nine years after the first edition in 1835.
When it came time for the appraisal, the guest confessed she had no idea of the hymnal’s value. Sanders then delivered the stunning news: the hymnal was worth between $40,000 and $50,000.
Overcome with emotion, the guest struggled to process the revelation, questioning what she should do with such a valuable heirloom. Adding to the surprise, Sanders noted that had her hymnal been the 1835 first edition, its value would have soared to an astounding $100,000.
The unexpected discovery left the guest in awe, a testament to the hidden treasures sometimes found within our own family histories.