Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

It's from our homestead. We live on the homestead of my husband's farm. And it is the counterweight of the windmill that was on the farm. My husband's grandfather, when he was about two years old, actually climbed the windmill and climbed out to the end and sat on the rooster.

APPRAISER

Wow, he was a brave little boy at two and a half. This was actually made by the Elgin Manufacturing Company in Elgin, Illinois. And it was made in the late 19th century. And this is a counterbalance type of mill weight. It's made of cast iron. And you can see that this is the seam that joins the two hollow parts. This weighs about 40 or 50 pounds as it is. If it were solid, it would be unbelievably heavy. But what's amazing about this particular one is it's one of the largest mill weights we've ever seen. You know from catalogs that this size existed, but none of us had ever seen the size in real life. And the surface is absolutely incredible on it. It's in wonderful condition. This was added; usually there's a great big weight that sits on here, and that's how they attach it to the end of the pole at the top of the tower.

GUEST

Right.

APPRAISER

So this wood is just an addition, and probably makes it useful for you to display.

GUEST

It's been in our garage, sitting in a corner, collecting dust.

APPRAISER

Oh, wow. Well, it's a wonderful, wonderful object. Because of its size and its condition, we estimate it, at retail, probably $4,000 to $6,000.

GUEST

Really?

APPRAISER

Yes.

GUEST

Wow, I would have never guessed.

APPRAISER

So nice to sit in your garage, right?

GUEST

I would have never guessed.