Antiques Roadshow

HOST

This jacket, worn by a star of the small screen, has found its way back in front of some television cameras. Take a look!

GUEST

I went to an estate sale in Malibu, California, and the lady in line told me that it was the home of Carroll O'Connor.

APPRAISER

Wow. Of Archie Bunker fame.

GUEST

And I went in the house, I went upstairs, and the master bedroom closet was filled with men's clothes. It was actually his daughter-in-law that was having the sale. And I said, "These couldn't possibly be your father-in-law's clothes." And she said, "Yeah, my mom never threw anything away." Even though he had passed 15 years ago. I bought it because I was just going to give it to my dad. He was a big Archie Bunker fan, and I thought they were the same size.

APPRAISER

Mm-hmm. What did you pay for it when you bought it?

GUEST

I think about $40.

APPRAISER

So this was quite a while after Carroll O'Connor had passed. Is that right?

GUEST

15 years. His wife just passed away about a year ago, and so they had the estate sale about three months after she passed away. It just, to me, takes me back to a time when my whole family was together laughing and having a good time.

APPRAISER

All in the Family, man, that show it just kind of redefined America. It took all of America's, like, hang-ups and values, it put them in a jar and it shook them, and it broke down racial stereotypes, it broke down sexual stereotypes. It helped social justice in our country because we're all sitting there on the couch, and we're watching this guy in this jacket just changing America by being a bigot, and everybody could see the humor in that. He was actually based off of Norman Lear's father. What do you do with it now? Do you have it displayed?

GUEST

Oh, no. I keep it in my living room closet, and in the morning when I walk my dog I just throw it on, because it's kind of warm. And I just use it to walk my dog.

APPRAISER

It's not a costume made piece. It's actually a purchased piece, so perhaps there may have been one or two others as a backup. But this was Archie Bunker's, and Carroll O'Connor took it home. And whenever you find provenance like this. You got it from Carroll O'Connor's daughter-in-law. And then here's photos of him wearing it. Here he is with Edith on the show, Jean Stapleton.

GUEST

Right.

APPRAISER

And there's the coat. You look at it up here, and what's cool is it even has his little flag lapel right there. That was a big social commentary unto itself on the show. The condition is fabulous on it. It hasn't been beat up. I love this shot here with Sammy Davis Jr., and there's the coat hanging behind it. In that episode, when Sammy kissed Archie at the end of the show, that broke the laugh record on that TV program. It's an icon. I feel that at auction this is worth $10,000 to $15,000.

GUEST

No! No! You are kidding me!

APPRAISER

No, I'm not. I love it myself. I'd wear it walking the dog, too.

GUEST

You are kidding me! (laughing)

APPRAISER

Probably on this, I would put $20,000 insurance appraisal on it.

GUEST

$20,000 for insurance?