• Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Our Sponsors

Discovering America’s Hidden Treasures ™
On Tour
Watch
Special Features
Appraisals Archive 
Appraisers 
 Shop
    Quick links
  • Complete Ticket Rules
  • How the Event Works
  • 2020 Tour FAQ
  • Tour Key Dates
  • Williamsburg, VA — Tuesday, APR 28
  • Nashville, TN — Tuesday, MAY 12
  • Boston, MA — Monday, MAY 25
  • Estes Park, CO — Tuesday, JUN 9
  • Santa Fe, NM — Tuesday, JUN 16
2020 Tour Hub

2020 Tour Hub

Tour FAQ

Tour FAQ

Get Your Tickets!

Get Your Tickets!

    Quick links
  • Watch Episodes Online
  • TV Schedule
  • Best Moments of Season 23
  • Best Moments of Season 22
  • Best Moments of Season 21
  • Cities from Past Seasons
  • About Executive Producer Marsha Bemko
  • Roadshow's Editorial Policy
  • About Host Mark L. Walberg
Watch | New Orleans, Hour 1

Watch | New Orleans, Hour 1

Watch | Harrisburg, Hour 2

Watch | Harrisburg, Hour 2

Watch | Harrisburg, Hour 1

Watch | Harrisburg, Hour 1

    Quick links
  • Find Features by City
  • Video "RoadShorts"
  • Roadshow Topics — Endangered Species
  • Roadshow Topics — Heirlooms
  • Roadshow Topics — Best Moments
  • For Teachers
  • Vintage Minute
  • AR Podcast
  • AR "Extras" Newsletter Sign-up
Digital Shorts | Extraordinary Finds Bonus Videos

Digital Shorts | Extraordinary Finds Bonus Videos

Article | Buddhist Deities

Article | Buddhist Deities

Digital Short | Meet Ken Price

Digital Short | Meet Ken Price

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Ron Drummond "The Art of Wave Riding" & Photos

Value (2018) | $6,000 Auction – $8,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
Today I brought this book that was written by my great-uncle, his name was Ron Drummond. He was a surfing pioneer and icon in Southern...

APPRAISER:
A legend in the surfing world, yeah.

GUEST:
Yeah, he was a legend. He was always a waterman, like he was an L.A. lifeguard back in, like, the 1930s.

APPRAISER:
Right.

GUEST:
I mean he grew up on the beach, he was based in Capistrano.

APPRAISER:
And he started off canoeing, as I understand it, right?

GUEST:
Canoeing, exactly.

APPRAISER:
And this is a picture of him doing some surfing with a canoe. And it's not necessarily about surfboarding, right? I mean as I understand it, it's about body surfing,

GUEST:
Body surfing.

APPRAISER:
'cause he was really interested in people learning how to get in the water and get out of just lying on the beach.

GUEST:
Yeah, I think the impetus for him was to educate people and get them actively interested in the ocean.

APPRAISER:
Well, he was a fabulously fascinating individual, as you know. I mean, he also became a wrestler in later life, and we have a picture of him with his stage name. What's his stage name?

GUEST:
Whiskers Blake.

APPRAISER:
Whiskers Blake, he had a big beard, he fit right in, in Williamsburg, probably, or Venice Beach today, right?

GUEST:
Yes.

APPRAISER:
And this is a picture of him in his wrestling days I gather, right?

GUEST:
Yeah.

APPRAISER:
It's an incredible collection. For people in the world of surfing, Ron Drummond is a famous name, and this book is his personal copy. It's a very rare example. We only know of about initially it being privately printed in 1931, about 500 copies were apparently produced. But it's a book that doesn't show up very often in very good condition, and what's so special about this example, of course, is it was your great-uncle's own copy. Because this is his copy, we would conservatively say at auction $4,000 to $6,000. And with the associated photographs, and his signature, and all the archival material from the family, this particular group, I would say, would have an auction value of sort of $6,000 to $8,000 as a group. So it's a phenomenal collection, and an amazing thing to see here in the beach of San Diego.

GUEST:
Thank you. Never gonna sell it.

APPRAISER:
Okay, good.

GUEST:
I'm holding onto it

APPRAISER:
Glad to hear, glad to hear.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Martin Gammon
Books & Manuscripts
Appraised value (2018)
$6,000 Auction – $8,000 Auction
Featured In
Hotel del Coronado, Hour 3 (#2309)
Event
San Diego, CA (May 29, 2018)
Category
Books & Manuscripts
Period
1930s
Form
Book , Photograph

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

More from PBS

Broadway's Best

Sing and dance along with five amazing Broadway productions!

College Behind Bars

Explore how education in prison can transform inmates

N Scott Momaday

Examine the enigmatic life and mind of this award-winning writer.

"I know there's a lot of envious people hearing that story..." Antiques Roadshow on Facebook

What’s inside the case?

@RoadshowPBS on Instagram

William Austin Burt patented the U.S.'s first "typographer” on July 23 in 1829. 110 year later came this "The Gold Royal" typewriter… @RoadshowPBS

We're soaking up the story behind this @LeslieKeno appraisal! #antiquesroadshow @RoadshowPBS

  • Connect with us
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • ABOUT ROADSHOW
  • Schedule
  • Contact Us
  • Credits
  • Press
  • For Teachers
  • Telephone Scam Warning
  • Roadshow Imitators Warning
  • Doing Business with Appraisers
  • Our Sponsors
  • Our Funders
  • Corporate Sponsorship

Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Ancestry, and Consumer Cellular. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.

Produced By

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is a trademark of the BBC and is produced for PBS by WGBH under license from BBC, Worldwide. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. ©1997 – 2019 WGBH Educational Foundation.

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Copyright
Subscribe Hide  ×

A weekly collection of previews, videos, articles, interviews, and more!