In the world of art, antiques, and auctions, the reality show that started it all was of course, Antiques Roadshow. But in recent years, a slew of reality TV shows have shed light on the business of art, antiques, and auctions. A few worth checking out include Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, American Pickers, Auction Kings, History Detectives, Cracking Antiques, and the genre’s latest entry, It’s Worth What? This last one is NBC’s new primetime game show where contestants compete, guessing the value of rare, quirky and beautiful art, antiques and collectibles. It features Skinner’s own Stuart Whitehurst as the show’s resident appraiser.
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The Skeptic is a rare breed. A watcher of antiques-related shows on TV, the Skeptic has never stopped to think that she may own an object of antique value, despite her exposure to the miracles happening on PBS every Monday night.
The wide-eyed and hopeful Realist is separated from the Dreamer by the existence of a necessary trait when evaluating an antique in any way—an open mind.
As a Skinner appraiser, I see all different kinds of people come through the door, lugging furniture, carrying paintings, or holding boxes of heirlooms, looking hopeful, perhaps nervous, or maybe even overconfident. I find that many fit into three groups: The Dreamers, The Realists, and The Skeptics.