GUEST: This is a soldier's memorial that my great-great-grandfather received after the Civil War. And I also brought in a blanket that he carried during the war. And these items were passed down to my grandmother. And because I was such a Civil War buff as a young child, she passed these on to me.
APPRAISER: In collecting, we run across things that are fairly common, and then we run across things that are special. You've brought in one of each. These, even though it's very beautiful, are fairly common, because the soldiers were proud of where they served. They would buy these that had their men that served in the regiment with them. And they had a good history. They fought at Second Bull Run. They fought at Antietam. They fought at the Battle of Winchester. It's nice, it's pretty. But the common-looking thing is the rare thing. This is one of the most elusive of all pieces that you can get that went with a Civil War soldier. And it's a simple blanket. But it's a very important thing during the Civil War, because they ran out of them. And when you hear the word "shoddy," you think of poor craftsmanship, very hurriedly made. This is what's referred to by collectors as a shoddy blanket. Do you know what the lines are for?
GUEST: I do not know, no.
APPRAISER: To know where to cut them. They would run about 100 of them, and then cut along the center. So you actually have two blankets. And you notice the hole where his head would go through.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: He wore it as a poncho. (chuckling)
APPRAISER: (chuckling): So...
GUEST: I never would have guessed that. I would not have guessed that.
APPRAISER: To a collector, even though it's missing some sections, it's got the hole, it's got a lot of wear...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: It's beautiful because you don't see them. Today, the soldier memorials-- we do see a lot-- these will sell in the $300 to $400 range.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: The blanket is a little different. This one is full of character, and it would probably retail today for about $2,000.
GUEST: Wow. (laughing) Wow, that's really amazing. I would never have guessed that. You know, you're, you're exactly right. I kind of thought this would be the piece that maybe was, was more attractive. Um, that's incredible.
APPRAISER: Thank you, Grandpa.
GUEST: Yes, absolutely. (laughs) What a great gift.
