- The stories are as much about the people than as they are about the item.

(warm music) So it's what we are assigning value to.

So I've seen people cry over a $50 spoon that their grandmother used to feed them with.

- Honestly, my favorite part is the genuine excitement of not knowing what's gonna happen, what's gonna come in.

I mean, this is as authentic as it comes.

- It's just really fun.

It is very much a dream come true.

- The only reason any of this stuff matters is because of the stories behind it.

- In many ways, it's the American story, and that's why it's compelling.

(warm music continues) - Hi and welcome (bright music) to this very special production of "Behind The Scenes Of Antiques Roadshow: Castle Farms."

I'm Stefanie Mills alongside Jamie Mankiewicz.

- Hello, Ms.

Chastity.

WCMU Public Media had exclusive access alongside the crew of "Antiques Roadshow" when they came to Castle Farms in Charlevoix County, their first-ever castle shoot.

Our beautiful state is no stranger to serving as an idyllic backdrop for this iconic program.

- In fact, there have been at least four locations in Michigan where the show was filmed.

From our indigenous roots to the roller of the automobile industry, Michigan is enriched with history and stories passed down from generations.

There is a lot that happens before gates open, and rituals and routines are different for everyone.

- So let's take a look at how this all came to be, and what it takes to make it all happen.

(air whooshing) - We pick about five locations a year to visit, and we do a combination of botanical gardens and estates and art museums, and we try to spread around the country so that we're hitting all parts of America.

And this is our first castle at Castle Farms.

We're really excited about it.

We've been looking for a location in Northern Michigan for a long time, and one of the other producers found it and said, "You know, this is a castle.

"I think this place might work."

And we came out for a site visit, and we just felt like this is one of the easiest and most perfect locations we've ever been to.

- [Jamie] Castle Farms was built in 1918 and modeled after the stone barns and castles in France.

Today, they host more than 100 events throughout the year, which helped the "Antiques" crew get to work quickly.

- So on event day, security and the preliminary team arrives at 6:00, the volunteers and the crew appraisers arrive by 6:30 By 7:30, cameras are rolling.

We'll be recording continuously until the last guest leaves.

For the production team, like the mantra is like be prepared to be unprepared, (chuckles) like things are gonna happen.

But if all of our ducks are in a row before we get there, then any instances that happen with weather or a tent doesn't work or we have to pivot or change, we're able to do that because all of the other preparation was there.

- [Jamie] Piece by piece, carried or rolled out, the castle and its surroundings transform into different set locations and appraising stations.

Cameras capture the dramatic change from the air and on the ground.

The appraisers have their own ways of getting ready for the day and relish this time alongside the people and crew who have become like family.

- For me, it's a night of hanging out with my friends, and these guys are the best people in the business.

So we hang out, we talk, and then I go to bed early and end up, you know, I end up in bed just staring at the ceiling going, "Oh, my God.

It's happening again tomorrow."

I can't wait.

I get really excited.

Then, you wake up, and you know, we have a lovely breakfast here at the location.

And then, we spend the first 20 or 30 minutes just talking to each other.

And part of it, part of the magic of "Roadshow' is not only do I get to interact with the guests and see some great objects, but I get to be around my best friends and the best people in the business.

- Try to get enough sleep, that's for sure.

It's a long day, and we're outdoors, so we never know what the weather's going to provide.

But you know, I like to hit the ground running and going in blind.

So I, you know, put on my jacket and I come in, I sit at a table, and I just wait to see what comes in.

- Touch it, feel it, smell it.

It's like the only way you get experience in this line of work is by doing the job, getting in the trenches, going to auctions, digging through boxes of stuff, and playing detective.

You know, when we're at a table, our job, we recognize something, we know it's good or we know it's bad.

And then, from that point, once we recognize its potential, then the research starts, then identifying it, getting the full story.

And that's the analogy, it's like playing detective about material culture.

It's all about the experience.

Would you rather just, you know, photograph something and find out on a Google reverse image search or do you wanna come talk to somebody who's passionate about the material, that loves the stuff you're bringing in and wants to share that moment with you?

That's what "Roadshow's" all about.

- [Jamie] Executive Producer Marsha Bemko understands the value and talent of each appraiser that's been a part of "Antiques Roadshow" since inception.

Their contribution to the show is invaluable when it comes to the authenticity and storytelling they hope to capture with each episode.

- What makes a great appraisal?

Well, I wanna fantasize, right?

It's an absolutely rare and great item with historical significance.

The appraiser has very good performing skills, not all are equal.

And the guest, the owner knows nothing, and they're just so excited.

They know what it is, they're not completely in the fog, but they don't know really what they got and the significance of what they got.

- [Jamie] With excitement building ahead of live filming, the focus remains on Michigan's unique history and being able to showcase it for a national audience.

- In places like Michigan where you have an American Indian population, a Native American population that may have moved at some part in the last couple of hundred years, but there's still history here.

And those people are still here too, so it's great to see the sort of indigenous qualities of America.

It's also great to see the effect of Western influence, industrialization.

Detroit, obviously, Motor City, you know, we hope and probably will see things related to the automobile trade.

- I feel really fortunate to have traveled the whole country.

This year, we visited our 49th of 50 states with "Antiques Roadshow."

So to go to places that people might not necessarily travel to in their regular travel.

So going to Charlevoix, Michigan, which is not necessarily everybody's number one tourist stop, when we get here, we realize why people love it so much and how beautiful it is.

It really feels like vacation land.

- All right, the stage is set.

Well, many stages are set.

(soft music) Those lucky enough to have tickets to attend are lined up.

The day of filming has arrived.

The entire castle and grounds are practically buzzing with excitement.

No production day is ever the same.

From the items to the individuals, a memory comes to life.

The past becomes the present.

Stories passed from one generation to the next take on new meaning.

- You really want great things.

You really want great stories.

- It's great when the story kinda melds with the piece, and we can weave it all back together.

- [Stefanie] For every item and person that arrives on filming day, the journey here actually began many, many years ago.

- The Dollhouse is probably from the 1930s or '40s.

The story is it's been used as a window display from a store that had DuPont paint in Atlanta, Georgia.

And my father got it, and my sister and I enjoyed it for a lot of years.

And now, my family enjoys it.

- Honestly, sometimes there are people that have like wicked, weird stories.

I love a good story, and I love hearing the origin story, how the people acquired it, maybe the background of their family history.

But when you actually, like the unveiling part, like every time someone comes up to the table, it's a new little surprise of what's gonna appear.

- This signed sports section from the, what is it, it's a New Jersey paper.

This happened on June 20th of 1999.

I was on a flight with the Women's World Cup, US Women's World Cup Soccer Team after they won their very first game at the Meadowlands on June 19th.

And I was working on a project and had Sprint phone cards in my possession, and I gave them to all the soccer players, and they wanted to do something for me.

And I said, "No, no, that's okay."

And then, someone had the sports section and started passing it around.

And I ended up with 17 of 20 signatures of the women from what went on to be the World Cup Champions for 1999, So it's kinda fun!

- [Stefanie] A moment in time.

An incredible memory.

Items preserved and passed down.

"Antiques Roadshow" finds a way to connect people of all ages, races, and places.

- I think the reason we love watching "Antiques Roadshow," all of us, whether we're 8 or we're 80, here's an item, it's in front of you.

If you were here, you could touch it, you could smell it, whatever, real experience with this item that has witnessed something worth talking about.

That's very engaging.

- And it could be, "My grandfather kept this.

"Is it worth anything?"

But that's not really the question they want the answer to.

They want to know why their grandfather thought this was important enough to hold onto.

And sometimes, the answer is because he didn't feel like throwing it away.

And so when folks come up, they're not always digging for the value, they're looking for answers.

- It's fun to see people after they've talked to an appraiser, right?

There's a man who was walking away, and he was doing this.

So I said, "Will you talk to me for a second?"

He brought a Herman Miller piece made, of course, and designed here in Michigan but found out that it was worthy enough, just under a thousand dollars.

It was something that he inherited from his grandma, so he really loved it.

- [Stefanie] As appraisers meet with guests to talk about what they brought, a pause, a new story begins as the four pickers, including producers, Marsha, Jill, and Sam step onto the front lines.

- Now, we're not on the front lines, the experts are, and they'll call over a picker of which I am one of four.

So when that happens, you already know they're calling you over with something that they've looked at a lot of items.

They will see gobs and gobs of stuff, so by the time they're looking for your attention, it's worth hearing, definitely worth hearing what they got.

So then, it comes down to, "What is it?"

I like to talk with the appraiser first.

We all have our styles.

Learn what it is, and then interview the owner, and find out what they know.

- So I'm interested in finding out if there's any value, monetary, more than just the value that this means to me.

- [Stefanie] The picker's rule is to identify items that will make the final cut into the future show as appraisers work to share the significance of their findings.

- I love the people that we meet, and it's different everywhere.

But then, there are a lot of things that are the same.

People come here to learn about what they have.

We try to tell them what they have, and they share these incredible stories.

Sometimes, the stories are insane.

And sometimes, someone's just gone to a local thrift shop a couple weeks before we arrived and bought something for 50 cents, and it turns out to have more value than that.

And it's really nice to see people get excited.

- [Stefanie] Now, of course, not everything makes it into a program.

But when you walk around the smiling, happy crowds, it's really not about what or who fills a show, but how everyone is united through an eagerness to learn, discover, and experience.

- I think one of the things about "Antiques Roadshow" is the gamut of items that come in, and it's as diverse as the country.

So if you're a pottery person, or if you're interested in Native American art, or if you're interested in modern furniture, there's all kinds of people.

There's all kinds of items for the different kinds of people that we are.

And so I love to see our America reflected in the different things that people bring in.

- This is all about sharing stories about each other, and that's the entire antiques and collector's market.

It's that feeling of nostalgia and that shared experience.

And here, we try to share with each other.

(cozy music) - The excitement after months of preparation, a massive undertaking, and a seamless setup, the energy shifts.

Because now, the guests arrive.

Thousands of people line up, each carrying a piece of their personal history.

And as we learned from our time behind the scenes, there was an unmistakable excitement in the air.

- I love this show, and it's so cool to see all these people bringing interesting items to find out where they come from or what their history is.

- Oh, just coming and seeing all the people and seeing the appraisers that you see on TV at the "Roadshow."

And, oh, it's been real exciting and lots of fun.

Oh, it's fabulous.

- [Jamie] Among the crowds that morning, one couple stood out, not because of what they brought, but because of what the "Roadshow" had meant to them long before they had arrived.

For guests like Meredith and Shawn who came up from Metro Detroit, this wasn't just a television show, it was something woven into their lives.

- Our relationship was built on the "Antiques Roadshow."

We still watch it every, you know, every night and try to guess who's gonna be right or wrong on the appraisal.

- [Jamie] What began as a nightly ritual had now brought them here in person to see it all unfold.

As guests streamed in with items of every kind, Meredith came prepared, excited to finally learn more about pieces she had cherished for years.

- I had three dolls.

I had a Barbie and a Ken.

She told me the Barbie's from 1962, had some original clothes.

She talked a little bit about green ear, which was new to me, which is when you leave the earrings in, it kinda, the metal changes the plastic and told me how to clean some things up, but worth about a hundred and some dollars, which was cool.

- [Narrator] And for Shawn, the excitement built with every step closer to the appraisal table, a moment that he had imagined for years.

- It was awesome.

I mean, it was, I never thought I'd actually be in the line to get there, and then to actually get there and have something appraised.

It was amazing.

- [Jamie] For a lifelong fan, this was a milestone, a moment that made that day unforgettable.

And what they discovered is something appraisers hear time and time again, that meaning often outweighs money.

- Much to my wife's chagrin, I will not part with it.

(chuckles) She, of course, would like me to sell these, and maybe one day I will.

But for me right now, to have the physical copies and be able to play them and hold them is far more than some money that will come and go.

- [Narrator] Like so many guests, the "Roadshow" was about connection, memory, and the thrill of sharing their story with people who understood its importance.

Others brought heirlooms passed down through generations, hoping to learn more and to be part of a moment that they would never forget.

- So I brought this sword.

It actually belonged to my husband's great-grandfather.

- [Memory] It's a work day, and we're both not working.

- Yes.

- So yes, coffee, "Antiques Roadshow," and a sword.

- [Jamie] And if you think this is an easy ticket to get, think again.

More than 15,000 people applied for the Castle Farms event with about 2,000 pairs of tickets issued.

Appraisers say the real excitement isn't about the value but the people who bring these items in.

- The stories are as much about the people than as they are about the items, so it's what we are assigning value to.

So I've seen people cry over a $50 spoon that their grandmother used to feed them with.

- The only reason any of this stuff matters is because of the stories behind it.

- Honestly, my favorite part is the genuine excitement of not knowing what's gonna happen, what's gonna come in.

I mean, this is as authentic as it comes.

We sit and people bring in the treasures.

And then, we see them for the first time and on the spot and have to decide and, you know, evaluate and appraise.

And it's exciting 'cause you don't know what you're gonna find.

- [Jamie] And even the volunteers, after long hours of preparation, were swept up in the energy of the day.

- I had to knock down three people in order (chuckles) to get this job.

But it was well worth it.

We're having a blast.

- By the end of the day, it's clear that "Antiques Roadshow" is about far more than discovering what something is worth.

It's about the meaning beyond value, the connection to family, to memory, and to the stories that shape all of us.

- I don't think it's worth anything.

That's not the point.

It was the history behind it, and I love history.

- [Jamie] Being here in person also meant getting a glimpse into what millions of viewers never see: the work, the care, and the attention that go into every appraisal.

- I think seeing the process, you see it on TV and you see one take.

(chuckles) Here, you see five takes or seven takes, and they micro break it up into sections and piece it together.

- [Narrator] And that care extends beyond a single table because no one expert knows everything.

The "Roadshow" works because the appraisers work together.

- The best part about being here at the "Roadshow" is getting to know the other appraisers because they're so smart and they're so well versed.

So suddenly, I have access to a rug expert, a ceramic specialist.

- [Jamie] Every guest brought something different, but the one thing they all carried with them was a story.

Stories about grandparents, about childhood, about moments that shaped who they are.

- I just wanted to know a little bit more about it.

- [Jamie] And for volunteers, watching these stories unfold is one of the day's most memorable experiences.

- How many things people have (snug music) and the stories that they tell.

- [Jamie] Those stories help reveal something deeper.

That the "Roadshow" isn't simply a place to assign value, it's a place to connect.

And part of that connection is how familiar this show feels because the people on camera aren't performing.

They're just themselves.

- There are no professional television talent on "Antiques Roadshow."

There are experts, and then our guests who are coming with their things.

Our experts aren't doing television in their office.

You know, they're buying and selling antiques, or appraising antiques, or whatever they do.

And most of the people coming have no experience like that.

They are every man, capital E. They are just like you and me with the same kind of questions we would have if we had an opportunity to ask them, "Help me understand what I own."

And I think that's the secret sauce 'cause we all wanna understand that.

So if we're here, oh, lucky us, but even if we're watching, maybe you own something like that, because we're all really curious about, to understand.

- [Jamie] As we learned, for some, the moment was even more personal.

A chance to live out something they had imagined together for years.

- It's just really fun.

It is very much a dream come true.

- [Jamie] Moments like these, simple, heartfelt, and shared, capture exactly why "Antiques Roadshow" resonates so deeply.

And it's not just the people here who feel it, it's millions of viewers who have made this show a part of their lives.

- You don't realize how many people watch the show until you tell people you're gonna go.

And then, all of a sudden, I've heard from so many, so many of my friends who are like, "We watch that show all the time."

- [Jamie] And it's only possible because of a commitment you don't always see on camera.

- All the experts working have donated their time.

They are working their volunteers as well.

They paid their own way here.

They paid their own hotel nights.

They donate between 1 and $2 million every year.

This can only happen on public television.

- [Jamie] And in the end, "Antiques Roadshow" becomes something larger than a program about items.

It becomes a portrait of families, of memory, and of our country itself.

- In many ways, it's the American story, and that's why it's compelling.

Almost everything we show in terms of stories, and items, and history is relatable to some people somewhere.

It is the American story.

(air whooshing) - Thank you for joining us on this behind-the-scenes look at "Antiques Roadshow: Castle Farms."

We had so much fun reliving the excitement of that day.

- [Stefanie] Yes, it's been really fun to see it all come together again.

But we hope to see you next time for more stories, memories, and surprises come to life.

Thanks so much for watching.

(heartwarming music) (heartwarming music continues)