It was a fixture of Maryland Public Television for 10 years before shutting down during the pandemic.
On Monday night, “Chesapeake Collectibles” returns to the air for Season 11 at 7:30 p.m.
“‘Chesapeake Collectibles’ can be thought of as a regional version of ‘Antiques Roadshow,'” executive producer Patrick Keegan said. “People all over the viewing area, stretching from New Jersey down to Virginia, bring items to our studio at MPT to meet with appraisers, who will look at the items and tell them the history, the prominence and ultimately the value. That’s what audiences love. … ‘This thing I found in my attic, how much is it worth?'”
This season, 15 appraisers examined 3,000 items brought in by 1,000 guests to create 13 episodes.
It kicks off Monday, Jan. 8, with an episode featuring a special cameo by former host Rhea Feikin.
“We have a gentleman who found an absolute bargain, a $50 cup and saucer that turned out to have been part of the Harrison Administration’s White House china,” Keegan said. “A local influencer well-known in Baltimore … brings in a Civil War rifle that he found in Frostburg, Maryland. … My personal favorite as a huge computer geek, a gentleman brought in an Apple 1, one of the first Apple computers built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976.”
The season continues with an equally impressive Episode 2, which airs Jan. 15.
“Our second episode kicks off with … Titanic memorabilia,” Keegan said. “[A collector] had an extraordinary collection of medallions, telegrams, all related to the sinking … We also have a presentation about what’s hot and not in modern collectibles, things like Lego, Pokemon cards … We also have this gorgeous portrait of a Maasai woman found in an art shop in Baltimore and a Swiss pocket watch with an evaluation that left guests in shock.”
Even more amazing antiques and vintage items arrive in Episode 3 on Jan. 22.
“We have a ceremonial admiralty hat that belonged to Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, confiscated from his mansion,” Keegan said. “We have a series of commemorative prints celebrating the Tuskegee Airmen, a dagger confiscated from an SS officer hiding in a toilet during World War II, a collection of rare prototype plates produced for the B&O Railroad [and] a Colt Dragoon revolver once owned by a stagecoach guard in the Wild West.”
The exciting month of programming ends with Episode 4 on Jan. 29.
“Somebody brought in the very first Barbie ever produced from 1959 … very timely with the release of the ‘Barbie’ film,” Keegan said. “We also have a Joe Montana NFL rookie card [and] one of the most valuable bottles of cognac you can obtain. We have a war rug created in Afghanistan used by the Afghanis to tell their folk stories … and one of our appraisers got his hands on the only known photograph taken of [Black] troops during the Civil War.”
Believe it or not, that’s just the first four installments of 13 episodes in Season 11.
“‘Chesapeake Collectibles’ is a fantastic show if you have even a passing interest in history or Maryland or local stories,” Keegan said. “It’s a fascinating show with fascinating items and its success depends on you.”
Listen to our full conversation here.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
