Antiques Roadshow

APPRAISER

This was made by the Columbia Company in 1899.

GUEST

Right.

APPRAISER

And it cost three dollars when it was new. And they couldn't sell them. And they reduced the price in 1900 to $1.50 to get rid of them. And they're very, very rare today. It's a finger-powered little guy. It is in fact a cylinder phonograph type, but it played on a disc. But it was a toy. This was probably bought as a present and just never used, and was just kept in the box. It's wonderful. This is like the Holy Grail of phonograph collecting. It's one of the rarest. And there are hundreds and thousands of people collecting, and there are thousands of different machines. Any collector who had this, it would be the top of their collection.

GUEST

Jeez.

APPRAISER

If this were to come up for sale today in the right auction, you'd make between $10,000 and $15,000.

GUEST

Wow. That is incredible. That is incredible. I never would have imagined it would be that kind of money.

APPRAISER

No, I didn't think you had.