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antique road show story

updated mon 17 aug 09

 

Eleanor on sun 16 aug 09


Dear Barbara Brown,

We got rid of our TV about 15 years ago; one of my favorite shows had
been the Antiques Road Show.

Someone brought in a scrapbook with a letter--the original letter--
and an article cut out from a now long-gone New York newspaper, the
Sun. The letter was from a little girl, poor, I believe, who
questioned the existence of Santa Claus. One of the staff writers on
the Sun was assigned the reply and it became famous--"....yes,
Virginia, there is a Santa Claus......"

I don't remember what the Roadshow "expert" quoted, but he dismissed
it as relatively worthless and the owner of the scrapbook went away
practically in tears.

Evidently this episode was seen by various other experts who differed
with the Roadshow assessment. The gaffe made the newspapers; the
letter, etc was correctly (IMO) valued at many times what the Roadshow
"expert"quoted. The Roadshow made a public apology.

Hang on to your Picasso--it may be worth more than you have been led
to believe.

Here's the original:

http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/

Is there a lesson here??

Eleanor Kohler
Centerport, NY


".... philosophers lay down many precepts fair in argument but not
applicable in use"

--Sir Francis Bacon

Sherron & Jim Bowen on sun 16 aug 09


I haven't seen price, at auction, of "edition Picasso" pieces diminish.
JB

----- Original Message -----
From: "Eleanor"
To:
Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2009 7:20 AM
Subject: antique road show story