When “Antiques Roadshow” came through Salt Lake City this past summer to film — the fourth time the show has come to Utah in 30 seasons — Kenneth Gloss was excited to share that he’d had the chance to appraise a third edition of the Book of Mormon.
“This is the first show I’ve ever had where we had a specific line for LDS and Mormon books,” Gloss, the proprietor of Brattle Book Shop in Boston who has been affiliated with “Antiques Roadshow” for roughly 25 years, told the Deseret News at the time.
Gloss couldn’t share the details of the appraisal then. But PBS recently aired the moment — and it didn’t disappoint.
1840 Book of Mormon gets appraised on ‘Antiques Roadshow’
Gloss was visibly excited when a woman approached him with an 1840 edition of the Book of Mormon at Red Butte Garden.
Her grandfather, a collector, had purchased the book in 1972 and later passed it on to her father. After that, it remained in a safe until her family recently uncovered it following her mom’s death.
The woman told Gloss she initially thought it was a European edition, but opened it and was surprised to see “Nauvoo, Ill” printed on the title page.
But Gloss revealed the book was actually printed in Ohio.
“As the Mormons moved West, they were considered a cult. They weren’t welcome almost anywhere they went, and so they had to keep moving. They knew they were moving to Illinois when this copy was printed,” he said.
Gloss then shared one of the biggest reasons the book is so valuable.
“Joseph Smith was still alive when this edition was done,” he said. “And for collectors of the Book of Mormon, one of the key big factors is there were four editions printed when he was alive. ... They want the ones that he was there and saw the printing.”
Gloss did note that the book’s binding wasn’t original, estimating it to be around 100 years old. The book itself, he said, was in great condition.
If the book still had its original binding, Gloss said, the retail price would be $75,000. He appraised the book at between $50,000 and $60,000.
“I consider it an honor just to be standing here, holding it and seeing it, so thank you,” he told the woman, who became emotional after hearing the book’s value.
“It is a treasure for our family, and having you share this information has been very, very enlightening and very dear to me,” she said.
Another standout find of the Salt Lake City episodes came during the Season 30 premiere, when Salt Lake City bookseller Ken Sanders appraised a 1937 copy of “The Hobbit” at a staggering $100,000.
As Sanders explained during the appraisal, a typo on the rear flap of the dust cover indicated the book was a true first printing of the U.K. first edition, warranting the six-figure appraisal, as the Deseret News reported.
When “Antiques Roadshow” last came to Salt Lake City roughly a decade ago, Sanders appraised an 1844 Latter-day Saint hymnal at between $40,000 and $50,000, per the Deseret News.
Why is ‘Antiques Roadshow’ so popular?
While filming at Red Butte Garden, Marsha Bemko, the longtime executive producer of “Antiques Roadshow,” opened up about why the show remains so popular after 30 seasons.
The stories and history behind an object — coupled with the genuine reactions from both the appraisers and the guests — is a compelling package that continues to draw people in, she told the Deseret News.
“They appreciate that family history. They appreciate the insights that this country’s top experts are giving you,” she said. “You can’t look some of this stuff up.”
So even today, as more and more people turn to the internet to ask their questions, a show like “Antiques Roadshow” could never be antiquated, Bemko said.
“It’s kind of like a doctor. You can look up your symptoms, you can do all kinds of things — and maybe even AI one day will be able to help you — but right now, if you have something, you need to see the doctor,” she said. “Same thing here. ... The internet will never take away the human need for somebody to diagnose what you own.”
How to watch ‘Antiques Roadshow’
“Antiques Roadshow” airs Mondays on PBS.
New episodes are available to stream on YouTube, the “Antiques Roadshow” website and the PBS app.