GUEST: Well, I got it at a garage sale, a little over 40 years ago. And my husband said, "What are you going to do with that?" And I said, "I have no idea, but I like it."
APPRAISER: This is a Gibson mandolin, made by the Gibson Guitar and Mandolin Company probably around 1920. It's an A-4 model with a black finish. One of the characteristics of the A-4 is the fancier rosette around here where there's two rope snake purflings and an inlay of ivoroid plastic, and then a fancy end of the fingerboard. The unique thing about this instrument is not so much its age, but its condition. It's in extraordinarily nice condition. Another thing is, it has the original case, which is in excellent condition. That was the first thing I spotted about it was, the case was well-kept.
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: I would say that it conservatively, it would bring $3,000-- and what did you pay for it originally?
GUST: $25.
APPRAISER: Oh, that's not bad.
GUEST: (laughs) That's a good markup.