30 Years of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW with Executive Producer Marsha Bemko

Marsha Bemko’s seen it all — from beer cans valued at $15,000 to art pieces worth half a million that have been collecting dust for decades, and just about everything in between. Still, with twenty-six years of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW under her belt, Bemko’s curiosity and excitement haven’t waned one bit.

“What really makes me good at my job? I care deeply. We all do — about doing a good job and putting the right information out there,” says Bemko. “I think people feel that in the show.”

We sat down with ROADSHOW’s Executive Producer to talk about what’s in store for the show’s milestone 30th season, what keeps her (and viewers) coming back after all these years, and much more.

Congratulations on 30 years of ROADSHOW! Where will the show take us in the upcoming season? 

We went to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay; Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah; Grant’s Farm in St Louis, Missouri; Red Butte Gardens and Amphitheater in Salt Lake City, Utah; and Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan.

What can the audience expect in this upcoming season?

In short, wow-worthy shows. I’m excited for viewers to see the rare, bizarre, and wonderful things that most of us will never own. Not all of it is precious art. And while you’re seeing these fascinating items, you’re going to learn something — about people, our country, and our history.

There’s something for everybody. Maybe diamonds aren’t your thing. I love them, but maybe you like paintings, military history, or comic books. I’m not into comics, but it’s still fun to see one valued at five figures. That segment lasts two or three minutes, and the next thing coming is completely different. It’s that variety that gets people hooked.

There’s also the wonderful shock value of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, this unfathomable idea that there’s something worth $500,000 that’s been collecting dust in a corner in my house?! We watch everyday people — who are a stand-in for the audience — discover the astounding, life-changing value of something that was handed down to them, or they bought at Goodwill, or unearthed in their attic.

After 26 seasons with ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, what keeps you coming back?

Most people would give their eyeteeth for this job. I learn something every day — traveling to shoot, talking about material culture, watching our footage — just like our audience does. How lucky am I?!

The other day, my former boss reminded me that I told him, “The day I turn 65, I’m retiring.” Let’s just say I’m past that point. I love my life — I have a great husband, children, and grandchildren. But I have this family of people [at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW] that gives me joy as an addition.

My trick is that I never stop asking questions. What does that mean? How did it come into creation? How did it end up here? Because history is wrapped up in all these stories.

The appraisers are such central characters in ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, with some of them returning for years on end. How do you find them? 

Not easily. We often find them through referrals from other folks. Producer Sam Farrell is our appraiser-wrangler, among many other things. A lot of them have been with the show since season one. They age, they retire, and we’ve added many new people over the years.

Reputation is very, very important to us. PBS is the one of the most trusted broadcasters in the country, and ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is not going to be the reason you don’t trust us. We want to make sure we have trustworthy people on our show, because trust is important to public media.

What makes a good appraiser?

Appraisers should have a genteelness about them — that shows they respect the people lugging stuff here, even if they can’t believe they brought it all this way. People are bringing family heirlooms; even if they’re not worth a lot of money, it’s precious to them. You have to say, “Oh, isn’t this lovely? It’s meaningful, even if it’s only $5 on the market.” And that is a personality thing. You can be as smart as a whip, but if you’re not personable then it’s not the right fit.

The appraisers are the most passionate people about what they do. They’re geeks — I say that with great affection. They know so much about the material and get excited to the point of shaking, crying, saying “I can’t believe I’m seeing this.”

Most of them are children of dealers or collectors, and came up being dragged to shows and museums. They have been at this for a very long time, and when they get to see something they’ve waited decades to see, that energy is contagious. While you’re standing there talking to them, you get goose bumps.

So much has changed in thrifting and picking cultures since ANTIQUES ROADSHOW began. How do you think the show has influenced the ways people think about, value, and purchase rare items?

We’ve taught people to ask questions — because it’s not always obvious what something is or isn’t. And ask at least three people, because you’re going to get different opinions. We’ll show you the signs — how you know if something’s real or not. That kind of information is huge. But even our appraisers have been fooled.

Before ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, most people didn’t know that it was possible to have a piece of furniture worth six or seven figures. What pickers used to do is show up at peoples’ homes, buying pieces for cheap and selling high. Thanks to ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, they can’t do that as much anymore.

Have you seen an uptick or downtick in any particular items people are bringing in? 

Well, you see a downtick for sure. Victorian furniture is a great example. A piece worth $5,000 not even that long ago could be worth $500 now. A lot of the market is driven by those who are buying. For the longest time, the people with buying power were nostalgic for Victorian furniture. Now, the younger people aren’t buying that as much. Mid-century furniture’s much more popular.

We’re seeing way more comics, Pokémon cards, and Magic the Gathering cards, often seeing them appraised for a fortune in the event they’re first editions.

How much were they worth?

A freaking boatload!

Over the past few years, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW has significantly expanded its digital presence and following on social channels. Can you talk a bit about that?

We have well over a million followers on TikTok thanks to the work of people like Hannah Auerbach, our Audience Engagement Manager. In fact, a lot of our younger viewers are discovering the show through TikTok and other social media. Hannah showed me a comment on one of our videos that cracked me up: “This is amazing — you guys should make a TV show like this!” They didn’t realize it’s been a show for decades!

But Hannah does incredible work. Her personality really comes through in our social media channels. She writes most of what you see online, responds to it, and strategizes about when to do what and how to grow our digital presence.

What are your favorite places that ANTIQUES ROADSHOW has brought you?

My least favorite part of the job is the travel. It’s always long days, chaos, and everything. The logistics of what we have to do to get to a location can be tiresome, but once we’re there it’s always so interesting. Whether you’re up in Boothbay with those big wooden trolls in the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, or a recreated city somewhere else. It’s just amazing to see all that.

Favorite place? I’ll give you a few. Filoli [Historic House and World-Class Garden], in Woodside California was beautiful. Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan. If I were to stay someplace, I’d want to go to Grant’s Farm in St. Louis.

What are you most proud of with regard to your work on the show?

I’m proud that we’re still here, and that people love to watch our show. I remember when I first started the show, I remember my (very young) kids saying to me, “Mom, you’re finally working on a show that my friends know the name of!”

I’m hugely proud of the amazing, talented team of people I work with. We are ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

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Tune in to Season 30 of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW on GBH 2 on Mondays at 8pm or stream it here. Plus, listen to the podcast, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW DETOURS, check out the new ANTIQUES ROADSHOW reaction compilation videos, and try your hand at the daily appraisal game, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW PriceRange.

Finally, don’t forget to follow ANTIQUES ROADSHOW on all its social channels — TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube — for incredible short-form content!