Boy Scout Uniform & Cards
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APPRAISER:
Robert, I was an Eagle Scout growing up as a kid. And were you in the Scouts?
GUEST:
Yes, I was an Eagle too.
APPRAISER:
Oh, great, so this has a lot of significance.
GUEST:
Yes, I collect memorabilia from scouting, and I wanted a world-class uniform, so I saw this in a mail auction, and I didn't really know what kind of condition it was going to be in but when it came in, it just flabbergasted me.
APPRAISER:
Yes, well, did you know that it had all of these things with it, the buttons and patches?
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
Well, I wanted to go through a few things that also came with the uniform. I love these, these membership cards that date back to 1915, which we see here. Now, in addition to these cards that you have, this was another thing I've never seen is the instructions for washing.
GUEST:
I was flabbergasted when I saw that.
APPRAISER:
(laughs) And look at the condition of this. And on the back, I just love the illustrations that go along with it because it gives us more of the history and the background of scouting and how that all came about, which I think has a lot of value, especially if you were a Scout yourself.
GUEST:
Oh yes.
APPRAISER:
That does make a difference. Now, on the uniform itself you also have the Boy Scouts of America pin. In addition to the name tag, all of the buttons are intact, and on the inside we also have the original label. And the most important thing, and I think this is the motto that everyone knows, is the "Be Prepared" patch that is here. Robert, you got this at auction. Do you mind me asking how much you paid?
GUEST:
I paid $300 for it.
APPRAISER:
This type of uniform in this condition with all of the cards and instruction, I would put a value of about $2,000 on this.
GUEST:
(laughing) Wow. Fantastic.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
