Most collectors will admit they can’t wait to watch an episode of Antiques Roadshow. At our house, it’s a regular. But by far my favorite television show on collectibles is History Detectives. It’s a great show for the whole family.

It’s not that I dislike Antiques Roadshow — we do watch and enjoy it. However, it is my opinion that History Detectives is the better show — and not just because I can (and do) groove to the show’s theme song, Elvis Costello’s “Watching the Detectives” either. I have other reasons.

While Antiques Roadshow focuses on price & condition of antiques and collectibles, it also somewhat misrepresents the other fundamentals of collecting.

In one episode, many items are paraded in front of you; most with very high prices. The kids eyes bulge when they hear that some guy dumpster dove and retrieved a painting (by no artist we’ve ever heard of) which is worth more than half of our neighbor’s house, or when a Navajo blanket fetches three times what our home would. Their jaws drop when they hear that the 50 cent score at a flea market is worth more than our van. Our eyes bulge, our jaws drop too. But as adults, we know that these are the rare finds, the less than typical situations. (Otherwise, we’d drive a better vehicle and live in a better neighborhood!)

In one hour of Antiques Roadshow, approximately 50 items flash before you, each with a satisfactory ending. It may not all be rags-to-riches, but rarely is an item a complete ‘unknown’ with no information or appraisal given. The kids not only think that we’re sitting on a pile of earthly treasures, but that finding out an items worth is just a matter of walking up to some guy who is sitting there waiting to tell you that you’ve struck oil. They also think finding a seller will be that easy. They have no idea the amount of research that goes into discovering just what you have, and how important knowing what you have is to finding the right buyer.

History Detectives, on the other hand, shows the process of research. These folks are searching databases; visiting libraries, museums, and galleries; interviewing historians and specialists (including getting on planes to do so); and using technology as well as expert opinion to authenticate items.

In fact, it’s rather like CSI, but without the crime. Who knew you could do the things they did when they investigated to see if this house was owned by accused witch, Martha Carrier?!

But ultimately the real reason I adore History Detectives is because it focuses on the real value of items: the stories, the histories. Items are not reduced to a price tag, with or without the “of course, it’s priceless to you,” tagged at the end. (Even when Roadshow appraisers tell people that the item should be in a museum, they still give a dollar value.)

In one hour of History Detectives, you may ‘only’ get three objects — but along with them you get three fascinating stories. Even if the family stories and legends don’t pan out, the stories are fascinating. Fascinating enough to get a seven year old boy interested and engaged in the program.

Recently I watched an episode of History Detectives with the kids (admittedly right after Roadshow). One of the items investigated was a Liberty Bell pin. During the show, they mentioned the Civil War. Hunter, who has just finished the first grade, asked what the Civil War was. When I explained, his face brightened and he said, “Oh, President Lincoln!” He was so proud to be able to bring something to the conversation — and I was proud to know he really does pay attention in school!

But the story doesn’t end there.

That episode aired here on Monday, July 2, and when we went to the local Fourth of July celebration on Wednesday, Hunter ran with glee to a display of a replica of the Liberty Bell, made of oak by Ordean Swenson.

“Oh! The Liberty Bell!” he said with excitement. He even wanted his photo taken with it.

Then we discussed a few things from the show, such as how the crack was actually made larger as a “repair” so they could ring the bell in honor of George Washington in 1846. (This method of repair, called stop drilling, increased the size of the crack so that the sides of the fracture would not rub against each other, allowing the bell to ring.)

Through the investigation and story narration on History Detectives, we learn something. We make connections. We build on what we already know and share with the rest of the family watching. This way we’re more likely to remember what we’ve learned. The prices on Roadshow are jaw-dropping, but do I retain any of them? Nope. But I do remember the stories on History Detectives. So do the kids.

Now that’s TV programming I, as a parent, can really get behind!

No wonder PBS executives say that History Detectives is one of their most popular programs, “capturing an audience that ranges from elementary school children to truckers.”

Note: PBS also has a History Detectives site just for kids.

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Article Tags: authentic, condition, History Detectives, Ordean Swenson, PBS, price, research

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 12th, 2007 at 6:04 am and is filed under flea market finds, reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.