Antiques Roadshow

GUEST: Peter Rabbit started with my father when he was a little boy in northeast Iowa, on a farm.

But he had an uncle who lived in Chicago, who didn't have any children, and this was his love.

And so he would send him these darling gifts from toy store in Chicago.

Peter Rabbit came to our house and our grandchildren, and they've all grown up with Peter Rabbit.

(chuckles) APPRAISER: And you bring him out...

GUEST: At Easter.

Every Easter he comes out.

APPRAISER: Every Easter.

GUEST: As far as I know, he didn't play with him very much.

He was an outdoor farm boy, you know, so... APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: Think he was more decorative.

APPRAISER: Did your dad have a lot of toys, or just the toys your uncle...

GUEST: Just the toys my, uh, his uncle sent him, because they didn't have much.

So they were treasured, and I have almost all of them.

My father as a young boy, and this is the uncle that sent him all the toys.

APPRAISER: Aw.

GUEST: And they were always close.

APPRAISER: He may have been bought in Chicago, but he originated in Germany.

GUEST: Oh!

APPRAISER: And he's made of papier-mch.

GUEST: Oh!

APPRAISER: What's really wonderful about yours is, he has these great big tall ears and beautiful brown glass eyes-- oh, my gosh, I can't even get started on these shoes.

GUEST (laughs) Aren't they cute?

(chuckles): APPRAISER: They are molded and painted...

GUEST: Aw.

APPRAISER: ...and have the little shoe buttons going up the side.

GUEST: (chuckles) APPRAISER: And he was actually made originally in the 1890s.

GUEST: (gasps): Really?

APPRAISER: Um, and they made 'em later, too.

So it may fit more with when your daddy received the doll.

GUEST: He, about, uh, 1911, we think... APPRAISER: Okay, so...

GUEST: ...is when he received it.

APPRAISER: They still are making them.

GUEST: Are they still making these?

APPRAISER: They're still making them.

APPRAISER: He has on just a wonderful outfit of, uh, wool felt.

But I think the most fun thing about him is the fact that he is a candy container.

GUEST: (gasps): He is?!

APPRAISER: When I lift his head up, there would have been candy in there.

GUEST: You're kidding!

(gasps): I never knew that.

APPRAISER: At the back, he has a little basket...

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...with a papier-mch egg, and he even has straw in the basket that, according to the other folks I've worked with, is the original straw.

GUEST: It's the original.

APPRAISER: (starts) GUEST: We always kept it in there.

APPRAISER: He has faded over time.

And if I lift his little shirt up some...

GUEST: (gasps): Oh, it was a brighter green.

APPRAISER: It was very bright green.

To make green dye in the 19th century, they used two different things.

One was copper and one was arsenic.

GUEST: (gasps) APPRAISER: And of course, I kind of panicked, because I'm, like, "This is a candy container..." GUEST: With arsenic in the... (laughing) APPRAISER: But I spoke to a textile expert, and they told me that this one was done with copper.

GUEST: Oh, good.

(laughs) APPRAISER: So we're safe.

He does have some damage.

You can see it running down his nose and a tip of one ear.

I see a lot of papier-mch Easter rabbits all the time.

GUEST: Really?

Okay.

APPRAISER: But not like this one.

I mean, he is dressed to kill.

GUEST: (laughs) APPRAISER: And he's an extra-large size.

And retail for this rabbit would be somewhere between $2,500 and $3,500 in this condition.

GUEST: Wow-- that's a lot of candy.

(laughs) That's amazing!

APPRAISER: I have seen the same, similar candy container, and it was mint, in good condition, sell at auction for $10,000.

GUEST: (gasps) Wow.

Well, he's priceless to us.