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

Discovering America’s Hidden Treasures ™
On Tour
Watch
Special Features
Appraisals Archive 
Appraisers 
 Shop
    Quick links
  • Learn more about ROADSHOW's 2022 Tour
  • 2022 Tour Complete Rules
  • 2022 Tour FAQs
  • Past Event: Nashville, TN — May 10, 2022
  • Past Event: Boise, ID — May 31, 2022
  • Past Event: Santa Fe, NM — June 14, 2022
  • Past Event: Woodside, CA — June 22, 2022
  • Past Event: Shelburne, VT — July 12, 2022
On Tour

On Tour

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

Things We Commonly See at ROADSHOW

FAQs

FAQs

    Quick links
  • Watch Episodes Online
  • TV Schedule
  • Best Moments of Season 25
  • Best Moments of Season 24
  • Best Moments of Season 23
  • Best Moments of Season 22
  • Cities from Past Seasons
  • About Executive Producer Marsha Bemko
  • Roadshow's Editorial Policy
Watch | Philbrook Museum, Hour 1

Watch | Philbrook Museum, Hour 1

Watch | Philbrook Museum, Hour 2

Watch | Philbrook Museum, Hour 2

Watch | RECUT: Desert Botanical Garden, Part 2

Watch | RECUT: Desert Botanical Garden, Part 2

    Quick links
  • Detours Podcast
  • Video "RoadShorts"
  • Roadshow Topics — Endangered Species
  • Roadshow Topics — Sports Appraisals
  • Roadshow Topics — Best Moments
  • Roadshow Topics — Staff Picks
  • For Teachers
  • AR "Extras" Newsletter Sign-up
Article | Read a Speech by a Native American Activist from the Early 1920s

Article | Read a Speech by a Native American Activist from the Early 1920s

Article | Sitting Bull Presentation Tomahawk and Letter

Article | Sitting Bull Presentation Tomahawk and Letter

Field Trip | Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve

Field Trip | Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Signed Muhammad Ali Training Shoes, ca. 1975

Value (2014) | $15,000 Auction – $20,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
These were the shoes that Muhammad Ali wore in the very famous heavyweight championship fight The Thrilla in Manila. It happened in 1975. It was their third and final fight. After the fight, he used these... Ali used these shoes to train in. And I don't know how long he trained in them, but eventually the right front toe came loose. And... there. And Angelo Dundee, the trainer, took them because they weren't useful anymore. Ali wanted to get... drop them. So he sent them to me, and I had them autographed later.

APPRAISER:
Well, let's talk about the fight again a minute. How did they come to determine the name Thrilla in Manila?

GUEST:
Ali was a bit of a poet, if you remember. He was, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," and The Rumble in the Jungle when he fought George Foreman. So he came up with a little bit of poetry for this fight. He always did it to promote the sale of tickets and all. And I think I'm paraphrasing here, but he said, "This fight is going to be the killa, and a chilla, and I'm going to beat the gorilla in the Thrilla in Manila." And they ended up... The press picked up that phrase and used Thrilla in Manila, and it's become one of the most historical heavyweight championship bouts ever.

APPRAISER:
When Frazier won the first match, Ali, with controversy, won the second fight.

GUEST:
Right.

APPRAISER:
And then Ali, of course, won the third and decisive fight with a TKO between the 14th and 15th round.

GUEST:
That's right. Both of them took a brutal beating. They both went to the hospital after that fight.

APPRAISER:
Now, you say you received these from Angelo Dundee. And what other provenance do you have with these? Any documentation?

GUEST:
No, I don't have documentation. What happened is I was the executive sports editor of the Philadelphia Enquirer at that time, 1980, and I had asked Angelo for some promotional material for a promotion I was doing for the paper. And he sent me a robe, an Ali robe, which I gave away as the winner of the promotion. And he threw these shoes in with a note that says, "These are the shoes that he wore in Manila. He discarded them because of the toe." And he said, "I thought you might like to have them." And that was in 1980. The fight was 1975.

APPRAISER:
And of course, with something like this, the provenance is so important. And in my research that I did, I have found another pair that was from the Thrilla in Manila, actually certified authentic as Ali's shoes that were worn in the Thrilla in Manila.

GUEST:
You're kidding. I had no idea.

APPRAISER:
So what we have on this one, with what you heard from Angelo Dundee, is we have the provenance that these were known for sure to be training shoes worn by Ali. Being an autographed pair of training shoes, we can put a value for these at auction for between $15,000 and $20,000. Similar Ali boxing shoes that are from one of the big fights have sold for up to $100,000. With the full provenance, the documented shoes from the Thrilla in Manila auctioned ten years ago, and at that time sold for $25,000.

GUEST:
Interesting.

APPRAISER:
But ten years ago.

GUEST:
Interesting. Well, I've learned something today.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Grant Zahajko
Collectibles, Sports Memorabilia
Grant Zahajko Auctions, LLC
Davenport, WA
Update (2014)
$15,000 Auction – $20,000 Auction
Appraised value (2013)
$15,000 Auction – $20,000 Auction
Featured In
Celebrating Black Americana (#1934)
Knoxville, Hour 3 (#1821)
Event
Knoxville, TN (July 13, 2013)
Category
Sports Memorabilia
Period
20th Century
Form
Uniform
Material
Leather

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

Benjamin Franklin

Get to know one of the 18th century's most influential figures.

Now Hear This | Great Performances

Discover the secret histories of some of the greatest music ever written.

Putin's Road to War

Explore what led to Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine.

"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 Ancestry, and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.

Produced By

ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is a trademark of the BBC and is produced for PBS by GBH under license from BBC, Worldwide. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. ©1997 – 2022 WGBH Educational Foundation.

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

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