Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest says ‘I gotta lock it up’ after hearing the value of his family heirloom (marketrealist.com)
“I Gotta Lock It Up!”: Local Man Stunned by $20,000 Valuation of Family Heirloom
Local Antiques Roadshow guest gets a shocking appraisal for his great-grandfather’s historic climbing axe, prompting him to joke about needing a vault.
Usually, when folks on “Antiques Roadshow” get an appraisal that blows their socks off, they’re practically doing cartwheels. But for one recent guest, the hefty valuation of his great-grandfather’s historic climbing axe left him with a chuckle and a new security concern: “Now I’ve got to lock it up!”
The priceless (or, rather, very pricey) heirloom belongs to the great-grandson of Harry Karstens, the legendary guide and climbing leader of the first complete ascent of Denali back in 1913. When “Antiques Roadshow” expert Meredith Meuwly delivered the news that the insurance estimate for the axe was a cool $20,000, the guest’s reaction was pure gold: “That’s a little bit too much.”
The guest shared the incredible saga of his great-grandfather’s daring climb. “My great-grandfather is Harry Karstens.
He climbed Denali in 1913,” he proudly stated. Meuwly confirmed Karstens’ role as the climbing leader, and the guest elaborated on the four-person team: Stuck, Karstens, Robert Tatum, and Walter Harper.
The axe itself has a fascinating origin story. Crafted by a local blacksmith, it was fashioned from old wood-chopping axes.
Four such tools were made for the expedition, but only Karstens’ axe survived the perilous ascent; Stuck, Tatum, and Harper’s axes were lost along the way. “This is an amazing object,” Meuwly interjected, noting that in 1913, the mountain was known as Mount McKinley.
The guest also shared a personal connection to the mountain’s modern name, explaining his involvement with fellow climbers and CoGNA (the country’s naming authority) in successfully advocating for the return to its Native name, Denali, the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet.
When it came time for the appraisal, Meuwly highlighted the unique market for such an item. “Mountaineering is a wonderful niche category of highly specialized collectors that love this stuff.
The enthusiast,” she explained. The rarity of such artifacts-most remaining within families or traded privately-makes them exceptionally valuable.
“There were only four that ascended the mountain. Three of them are gone, so this is the only one.
And it’s a milestone event,” she emphasized, underscoring that “provenance is key.”
The final number – “$20,000 for insurance purposes” – prompted that delightful chuckle and the immediate thought of better security. It seems some family treasures are so valuable, they come with a new set of responsibilities!