Antiques Roadshow expert wowed by Christmas family | TV Shows

An Antiques Roadshow expert was transported back in time, seeing a visitor’s “iconic” Christmas family heirlooms.

During a 2005 stop on the hit PBS show in Providence, Rhode Island, a visitor introduced in puppets of Rudolph and Santa, which have been used in the making of the 1964 animated movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Antiques Roadshow‘s Simeon Lipman, an unbiased appraiser of popular culture memorabilia from New York City, was shocked and said it was like “seeing old friends,” as the movie is one of the most nostalgic Christmas films of all time.

The visitor explained that his aunt had given his family the manufacturing puppets of Rudolph and Santa after she acquired them while working at Rankin-Bass Productions for about 10 years in the Seventies and early Nineteen Eighties.

Along with Rudolph and Santa, the visitor’s family also had Yukon Cornelius, Herbie the Misfit Dentist, Sam the Snowman, performed by Burl Ives, and a few others, including an assortment of reindeer.

However, all but Rudolph and Santa acquired melted in the attic, thanks to the visitor’s mother, after years of popping out every Christmas and sitting under the Christmas tree when the visitor was growing up.

“I’m just used to having them around,” the visitor informed before Lipman confirmed that the puppets have been unique.

The expert explained, “And we can see here they have the articulated legs. The articulated neck here. This is, of course, the young Rudolph. And here’s Santa.”

Lipman continued to gush, “When you opened the box… And took these fellas out… It was like I was seeing old friends,” to which the visitor agreed, “Yeah, exactly.”

The appraiser said about the puppets’ pop cultural significance, “As I’m sure it is the case with millions of our viewers, this is a Christmas tradition. 1964 is when the film was made, and it definitely has a warm spot in all of our hearts.”

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He said, “So to actually meet them in person is really exciting. This is iconic. It’s on a very different level. It’s not a toy, and everyone who has seen it has gotten a kick and recognized it instantly.

“So you are dealing with one thing magnificent right here. It’s too unhealthy that Burl Ives melted away. But, you understand, that’s the issue when he is in a sizzling attic.”

Lipman explained that the puppets were made out of cloth, wood, and plastic. He also pointed out that they were not in perfect condition.

Rudolph’s nose had been replaced, and Santa’s whiskers were missing. However, at the time, if Lipman had to estimate the price they’d likely get at an auction, he wouldn’t have estimated less than $8,000 to $10,000 for the pair.

A year later, Lipman told Antiquest Roadshow, “These have been hand-made. They weren’t toys. They had mechanisms to make them transfer, to make them come alive virtually. No mass producer of toys, particularly in the Nineteen Sixties, made issues like that. It was made to be on movie.”

When Lipman did some follow-up research on the puppets, he learned that Rankin/Bass gifted other puppets used in animated programs to their office staff.

“Now, when corporations make film props, they’re closely guarded,” he explained. “Back then, they have been thought of souvenirs, one thing to enhance around the Christmas tree. No one was pondering they’d develop into iconic objects value hundreds of {dollars}.”

The expert added that if he were overseeing the auction of these puppets, he would try to get affidavits from the owner’s aunt or other family members to establish their origin, which is always a good idea in case they are sold.

Lipman believed that duplicates for all the puppets in Rudolph were made for the production, a precaution often taken in case a puppet is damaged or lost. However, he hadn’t seen any on the market.

According to rankinbass.com, puppets were given to employees or to the actors who voiced the characters. Most stayed in Japan, where they were designed and made.

“Putting a worth on these is like placing a price on Christmas,” Lipman said to the owner. “Can’t do that, are you able to… It’s bizarre, my spouse and I have been watching [Rudolph] this Christmas and… I had said to her, ‘I’m wondering where those items are’… And there they’re.”

Rudolph and Santa’s worth have elevated massively over the years, too. In 2013, they have been appraised for $30,000 to $50,000 at public sale. They have been appraised for the same worth in 2019.