Appraisal: 1937 Inscribed "Of Mice and Men" First Edition
Clip: Season 30 Episode 25 | 1m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Appraisal: 1937 Inscribed "Of Mice and Men" First Edition
In Junk in the Trunk 15, Francis Wahlgren appraises a 1937 inscribed "Of Mice and Men" first edition.
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Appraisal: 1937 Inscribed "Of Mice and Men" First Edition
Clip: Season 30 Episode 25 | 1m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
In Junk in the Trunk 15, Francis Wahlgren appraises a 1937 inscribed "Of Mice and Men" first edition.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipGUEST: I have brought a, a signed copy of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
I inherited it from my mother, who inherited it from my maternal grandmother.
APPRAISER: Not only is this a first edition, also it's what we call a first issue.
That means it's from the very first printing.
Now, here's the title page, published 1937.
And this one, you mentioned, was inscribed.
GUEST: Inscribed and signed.
APPRAISER: Right-- his handwriting, as you can see is,it's neatly illegible, I would describe it.
In two lines or one line and a word, he really sums up something that's really relevant.
He says, "Perhaps Lennie is the best of us.
John Steinbeck," which Lennie, tragic figure in literature.
A gentle giant who doesn't know his own strength and ends up in a lot of trouble.
And it's a tragic ending for Lennie.
He's not inscribing it to someone that we may or may not know, but he's really broadly opening it up for any and all people who handle this book.
So it's very special.
And he's mentioning, really, probably his most tragic and dearest character, most memorable character.
So it really, when I saw that, I was like, wow.
APPRAISER: I looked to see other inscriptions of Lennie.
There's very few that, that he brings in a character.
Do you have any sense of value or what what, she paid for it way back then?
GUEST: Well, we have the original receipt, and it was $13.
APPRAISER: $13.
GUEST: In 1938, I believe is the date.
APPRAISER: Wow, so it was right around the time, it was published a year before.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: I would say if you were going to auction this copy, with that great, simple line, I would put an estimate of about $5,000 to $7,000, okay?
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: I would insure it for double that-- for $10,000.
GUEST: Okay, okay.
APPRAISER: $12,000.
NewAppraisal: 1869 Winchester Model 66 "Yellowboy" Rifle & Carbine
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 1m 57s | Appraisal: 1869 Winchester Model 66 "Yellowboy" Rifle & Carbine (1m 57s)
NewAppraisal: 1900 Oscar Berninghaus Watercolor
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 2m 43s | Appraisal: 1900 Oscar Berninghaus Watercolor (2m 43s)
NewAppraisal: 1911 Gorham Silver Powerboat Race Trophy
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 2m 28s | Appraisal: 1911 Gorham Silver Powerboat Race Trophy (2m 28s)
NewAppraisal: 1931 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Watch
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 2m 41s | Appraisal: 1931 Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Watch (2m 41s)
NewAppraisal: 1951 Coca-Cola Baseball Advertisement Painting
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 1m 10s | Appraisal: 1951 Coca-Cola Baseball Advertisement Painting (1m 10s)
NewAppraisal: 1960 Gibson Les Paul Junior Guitar with Case & Strap
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 1m 4s | Appraisal: 1960 Gibson Les Paul Junior Guitar with Case & Strap (1m 4s)
NewAppraisal: 1961 JFK Santa Claus Letter
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 1m 36s | Appraisal: 1961 JFK Santa Claus Letter (1m 36s)
NewAppraisal: 1964 - 1965 Ellsworth Kelly "Yellow over Black" Litho
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 2m 59s | Appraisal: 1964 - 1965 Ellsworth Kelly "Yellow over Black" Litho (2m 59s)
NewAppraisal: 1979 Ed Ruscha "Stagefright" Ink on Paper
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 2m 28s | Appraisal: 1979 Ed Ruscha "Stagefright" Ink on Paper (2m 28s)
NewAppraisal: 20th C. Ernest Trova "Falling Man" Sculpture
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 3m 31s | Appraisal: 20th C. Ernest Trova "Falling Man" Sculpture (3m 31s)
NewAppraisal: Alphonse Mucha American "Reverie" Print, ca. 1910
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 3m 11s | Appraisal: Alphonse Mucha American "Reverie" Print, ca. 1910 (3m 11s)
NewAppraisal: Augsburg Silver-gilt Chalice, ca. 1600
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 3m 9s | Appraisal: Augsburg Silver-gilt Chalice, ca. 1600 (3m 9s)
NewAppraisal: Charles Loloma Necklace & Ironwood Bird
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 4m 4s | Appraisal: Charles Loloma Necklace & Ironwood Bird (4m 4s)
NewAppraisal: Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Waste Bowl, ca. 1750
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 2m 24s | Appraisal: Chinese Cloisonné Enamel Waste Bowl, ca. 1750 (2m 24s)
NewAppraisal: Gustav Muss-Arnolt Hunting Dogs Oil, ca. 1900
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 1m 28s | Appraisal: Gustav Muss-Arnolt Hunting Dogs Oil, ca. 1900 (1m 28s)
NewAppraisal: John Juzek Violin, ca. 1950
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 2m 46s | Appraisal: John Juzek Violin, ca. 1950 (2m 46s)
NewAppraisal: Loetz 4-handled Phänomen Vase, ca. 1904
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 3m 24s | Appraisal: Loetz 4-handled Phänomen Vase, ca. 1904 (3m 24s)
NewAppraisal: Palwa Illuminated Mirror, ca. 1970
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Clip: S30 Ep25 | 2m 28s | Appraisal: Palwa Illuminated Mirror, ca. 1970 (2m 28s)
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Preview: S30 Ep25 | 30s | Preview: Junk in the Trunk 15 (30s)
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Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.