Antiques Roadshow

APPRAISER

We have a watch here. I brought it to our watch department and basically the consensus is it's a 14-karat-gold Sigma watch and it's worth about $400 to $600. Now, that is if it doesn't have anything engraved on the back.

We have a name

Mickey Mantle.

GUEST

The watch was given to my dad somewhere probably in the mid-'50s. We lived maybe three or four houses from Mickey in Commerce, Oklahoma, on Maple Street. And he gave it to me as a gift, and he always wore it. The back was lost at a dance and he and I the next morning went back and the man had found the back and kept it for him. He knew somebody would show up for it. And that's probably the most amazing thing is somebody finding that and not just putting it in their pocket.

APPRAISER

I'm glad they did find it, because it certainly makes a difference. Mickey Mantle is an icon. He is a baseball deity.

GUEST

Yes, he was.

APPRAISER

He came from Commerce, Oklahoma. Your dad and he were friends?

GUEST

Well, yes, they were friends. And Dad worked in the lead and zinc mines like so many of the people in that area did, and when Mickey would come in on off season my dad had a company truck, and he'd ride with him and his crew.

APPRAISER

They kind of went around, maybe did some hunting with Billy Martin.

GUEST

Yeah, Billy came in with Mickey most every...

APPRAISER

And you met Mickey many times when you were a kid, right?

GUEST

Sure, yeah. In fact, we went to Chicago. Him and Billy took us all around Chicago.

APPRAISER

I know there's a lot of envious people hearing that story. What this basically is is the award for the members of the all-star team in 1953, which is actually his second all-star game. And these were given to the players as sort of a gift.

GUEST

Does it have anything to do with the magazine?

APPRAISER

"Look" magazine must have sponsored the game. $400 to $600 is the price of a normal watch like that. But with this inscription, having come from Mickey, and having the provenance of your father, we're talking about, at auction I'd estimate it at $15,000 to $20,000.

GUEST

(exhales)

APPRAISER

Not bad.

GUEST

Not bad.

APPRAISER

Mickey is the most collectible of modern-day ballplayers. He is on par with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as far as sports collectibles go.

GUEST

Pretty impressive.

APPRAISER

Congratulations-- it's a wonderful piece.

GUEST

Thank you.