>> Welcome to Mississippi Antique Showcase.

In this episode, we are in Natchez, Mississippi with our expert appraisers to look at your rare finds, family heirlooms, and your quirky collectibles.

We'll see what we can learn about these unique treasures and of course, see what they might be be worth.

>> Probably worth $400, $600.

>> Wow.

>> Alright, Guy.

I've seen a lot of cool things, but this looks pretty interesting.

Thanks for bringing this down.

Uh, coming down to Natchez and showing this to us, but tell me a little bit about this.

What'd you bring?

>> This here is, I've been told, a presentation pin, inaugural pin, and it's for the President of the Confederate States of America.

>> Do you know what it says in the middle?

>> It's "The right man in the right place."

And then it says at the bottom, "Our first president" then it's got "Jeff Davis" scrolling through.

>> Right.

"The right man in the right place."

Um, and then Jefferson Davis' picture.

So with this, where did you get it?

>> I got it from an, uh, kind of from an estate sale.

I met, met a gentleman at an estate sale, we became buddies and uh, one day he called me up saying he had some unique things from a, uh, well-to-do family and, uh, that they had been saving stuff for over five generations and they had to sell everything off, so.

>> Okay.

And do you have any idea of value?

>> I have no idea.

I've not been able to find much, much about 'em anywhere.

>> Alright.

So I've got a little bit of information that might help us.

Um, obviously Jefferson Davis, one-term president, right, for the Confederate states of America.

So this was in fact from his inauguration.

But what I've found is that this probably came from a cart de visite.

Do you know what that is?

It was much like a business card in the 19th century and would have your picture on it and some information.

This one was originally about this big by about that big, and that slogan in this exact picture, in that exact circle were on this square cart de visite and this would've been cut out, and then somebody mounted this to that and then mounted that to the silk to make some sort of button.

>> Gotcha.

>> But we couldn't find any info showing that this was a manufactured button that somebody made this button or this pin.

>> Right, right.

>> Sowhat we can deduce is that the cart de visite, again, they cut this out and then the rest is just filler on the cart de visite.

It was just paper.

There was no writing, there were no pictures or anything like that.

>> Gotcha.

>> So that being said, we are able to trace the cart de visites selling at auction.

You wanna take a guess what the cart de visites bring?

>> You, you, I wouldn't even have the slightest idea.

>> Alright, well so, um, the full carte de visite, again, a little bigger than that, will hammer it auction for anywhere between $800 and $1,200.

Okay.

Um, and some less if they're in bad condition.

Some of them we found the signature with them and they sold for a little more.

This being from that and cut out in period and then placed here and having a very interesting history, we're looking at an auction estimate of around $600 to $1,200.

The important thing to note here is that there's so few cart de visites that a replacement value appraisal on this should probably be about $1,500 or $1,700 because this image alone is hard to find these days.

>> Right, Right.

Pretty neat.

>> So again, thanks for bringing it down.

>> Yes sir.

>> Thanks for being part of Mississippi Antique Showcase.

We love the history, we love the Mississippi history, um, and some of the local southern history as well.

And this is really cool to see.

I don't get to see stuff like this every day, >> Right.

Well I appreciate you taking the time to check it out.

>> I am here with Mark from Madison, Mississippi.

He has brought in an incredible thing here that we're gonna talk about a little bit today.

And so Mark, tell us a little bit about this, okay?

What you know.

How you acquired all of this and, um, I'd love to hear, hear the story.

>> For years the legend had been in our family that we were related to Custer, although I had no documentation of that.

After my mother passed away, I went through a chest and encountered this, which is a piece of a flag that, uh, was called the, the personal guide on is what the cavalry had at the time.

You had your normal Seventh Cavalry flag.

But this was, uh, done by his wife.

This is part of that.

Not from the battlefield.

Apparently this must be part of the fabric from when she, uh, sewed it.

This is a lock of his hair from when he was 12 years old.

Turns out after my research, he was first cousin to my great-great grandfather.

He was born in 1839.

My grandfather, in 1838.

Basically the same age.

Grew up in the same bend in the road in New Rumley, Ohio.

So it was a lot of fun researching it.

Uh, it was a lot of first person research 'cause you can get microfilm from Custer Battlefield about Custer.

And it was his widows files.

And that's where I documented-- there was even a letter in there, a reference to my ancestor with Custer.

So I documented after a lot of research, which is fun.

>> Tell me a little bit more about this right here.

>> When I did this research and, and had this framed, uh, I, there's a great resource online where you can see archival New York Times articles.

So I went and printed out the 1876 article about the massacre as they called it, at Little Big Horn.

So that's exactly how they reported it at the time.

He was considered a hero at the time.

>> You did a fabulous job with having all of this put together as, as one complete thing.

The framing is beautiful.

I love all of the mattings that that it really makes the black-- black mattings really make all these things stand out even more.

>> Yes, sir.

>> So I wanna compliment you on that.

I think you did a beautiful job.

Now I'm holding something right here.

And tell me a little about this, and I'm going to show our viewers while you tell this.

>> Uh, we got this.

Uh, or first of all, his widow would've been born sometime around 1839 also.

She lived until 1932, which is when FDR was elected president.

It's when Hitler came to power in Germany.

So she spent her whole life justifying your husband's career and what happened at Little Bighorn, again, in regard to his celebrity status, this is another thing that came down through the family where they dedicated a monument to Custer in Monroe, Michigan, which is where he ultimately moved to at 12 years old.

And President William Howard Taft was there as well as a number of speakers.

And that's another little thing that got passed on.

And you can see my note-- or my some ancestors' note says, "Major George Armstrong Custer, cousin of Laura Cunningham Ginn, who was my great-grandmother.

>> Great-grandmother.

So, wow.

That is, that's incredible.

First of all, I'd like to say that it's priceless, but if I were to sell this and I didn't know you and I just came upon this, I would, I would say I would sell it probably I'd put a price at fair market value of $2,000, $2,500 on it.

Just because you have such personal things here.

I appreciate you coming in.

>> Very good.

>> Thank you for being here.

>> Enjoyed it.

Yes.

>> Yes sir.

>> Thank you.

>> I'm here with Bobby Dennis.

He is a native of Natchez, Mississippi.

He's also the director of the Museum of African American History here in the city.

And he has brought in a beautiful doll that I cannot wait to learn about.

Mr. Bobby, thank you so much for joining us here at our event.

>> Well, thank you.

We are very glad to be here with you today.

>> Right.

I am very glad to have you.

Very honored to have you.

I wanna, one, talk about your work as director of the museum.

Talk about your passion for that.

>> Well, I grew up in a family that stressed understanding and knowing our history.

And I didn't appreciate it actually, it wasn't until I got older that I realized the importance of learning my history from my family.

And that led me into understanding and wanting to take care of the history and culture of the African American here in Natchez.

>> I love that.

Now as director of the Museum of African American History here in the city, I already know you brought something that's, that's a beautiful piece.

I want you to tell me all about what you have here today.

>> Well, this is a doll done by a slave off of one of the oldest places that's known in the Natchez District.

Most of us have heard of Mount Locust, which is the inn outside of Natchez, along the Natchez Trace.

But thre was a plantation associated with that.

Chamberlain Plantation.

And this is a model that was done by a slave on this plantation.

And what made it so special to me was that my family has dated back to being a part of that plantation system.

And to have an owner of a plantation become my friend and associate this and be good enough to let me have it to display in the museum, it's very significant.

>> That's beautiful.

And Mr. Bobby, talk about the reason why this doll was made by a slave.

It's 'cause they couldn't just go out and buy dolls, correct?

>> That's true.

>> Mm-Hmm.

>> We often get the impression from looking at our history through slavery, that we didn't have any care for our children.

This tells us a different story.

If we could not afford to give them or buy them a toy, we could make one to keep 'em just as happy as any other child.

I mean, I get goosebumps >> I do too.

>> just thinking about it, because it means so much to me to understand an African man being enslaved, still having that dignity to respect and honor his child, love him, and make sure that they have something that they just can't buy.

>> I love it.

The craftsmanship on it is beautiful.

It's sanded beautifully.

I mean, it's still holding up, it still has its pins and everything in it.

What did you learn today from the appraiser about this piece?

>> Well, he gave me a value.

>> Okay.

>> Which I never, I I could never put a value on it.

>> I know, I know >> Because what it means to me is more than what it would ever mean to anyone else.

>> Mm-Hmm.

>> But it lets us understand that the knowledge and skill of a man is very well-valued.

And that's the basics that I got out this, yeah.

I think he gave me a face value of $7,000.

>> Wow!

So I already know the fate of this doll.

This doll's going back to the-- >> Definitely so.

>> This doll's going back to the Mississippi Museum, African American History Museum here in Natchez.

Where can people get more information about the museum and where is it located?

>> Well, the museum is located on 301 Main Street in Natchez.

We are the only African American museum in the country that is located on any Main Street in any city in the USA.

>> Well Mr. Bobby, thank you so much for bringing in your piece.

Thank you so much for the work you do here in the city of Natchez and with the museum and everything.

And thank you for coming out to the Mississippi Antique Showcase.

>> Okay.

And we thank you also.

>> Thank you, sir.

>> I am here with Robin from Hazelhurst, Mississippi.

Robin, thank you so much for coming today.

>> Thank you for having us.

>> You've bought-- brought some very interesting things.

Mainly, um, these are directional comic books produced by the International Paper Company, uh, from 1950?....

>> 1950, 1951 and 1952.

>> Okay.

Tell me a little bit about the background of what you know about these.

Well, these belonged to my dad.

He was born in 1940.

He was 10 years old when he got the first comic book, 1950.

Uh, so he had 'em up to the age of 12.

And that's all I know about them.

>> Well, you know, this is a wonderful venue or vehicle for a company who had a vested interest in the forests being wonderful.

And, you know, not having fires and anything like, everything like that.

The first one is "Crops That Did Not Fail."

And the next one is "Little Trees That Went to School."

And then the other one right now is, uh, "How Money Goes Up in Smoke."

And if, if you see this, there, there is a forest fire that has occurred here and how it, yes, money would be going up in smoke.

Now inside you can see what the comic books look like.

And what a great way to reach a young public by having comic books.

You know, uh, it's all in the, in the, the way or the process that you are trying to relate a message to a kid 10 years old.

And I think this is a marvelous way to have done this type of thing.

Um, also, I thought this was really cool.

Um, and if you will, um, let me put my glasses on because I need to for a read.

This is very interesting.

It is a framed piece.

And you said you had it framed right?

>> Yes.

>> And it's "My Forest Firefighting Pledge."

And it has here Jerry Smith.

>> Who is my father.

>> Who was your father.

What a nice thing to have.

It has a little damage right up here on the, on the document.

But it's a really cool thing and I think it's such a healthy way for young boys to, to find some responsibility and find a place that I can matter by doing good things.

And I think, to me, that's the real value of this whole thing.

And so, what I would say on this, for all of this, I would say that the comic books would probably be worth around $30 each, $30 each.

And then I think that this right here is $75 to $100.

But again, I think I can see on the expression of your face what it means to you.

>> Oh, yes sir.

>> And I think that's great.

I want to thank you so much for coming today and sharing all of this with us.

>> Thank you for having me.

>> Yes ma'am.

>> Mr. Albert.

I love your cabinet.

>> Thank you.

I do too.

I've always thought it was beautiful because of the finishes on it.

And, uh, I was working for a man that gave it to me.

Uh, I was putting up crown molding in his house and talking about this.

And 25 or 30 years later, he called me up and asked me if I wanted this cabinet to come and get it.

I said, oh man.

Yeah, I'll be there in just a few minutes.

And, uh, so I've had it myself for about 40 years not knowing what it was for.

I just admired it 'cause it was so darn beautiful.

>> Oh yeah.

I never saw a little cabinet like this ever.

When I first looked at your cabinet, I thought it was a radio cabinet, 'cause I noticed it had a slot in the back.

And I thought that's where the cord, uh, came out.

But then you open the doors on this cabinet and here's some file places for your telephone book.

>> It might.

It looks like that's what it was for.

>> And I believe, uh, originally it was probably from the 1920s, early thirties and it's a cabinet that was used with the candlestick phones, you know, with the old earpiece.

>> Yeah.

Where you had to put a earpiece.

>> Yeah, that's right.

And I think that's exactly what it is.

Um, have you ever, uh, had anybody look at it or ever thought about the value of this piece, what it might be worth?

>> No, sir.

I've been trying to do this for years, but my wife got sick and I wasn't able to go when it came.

And so this time I said I gotta do it.

So here I am.

>> Well, this is one of those things that I think the finish on it, even though there's some wear here and there, and a few chips off the top.

But still, I think it looks great just like it is.

>> It does.

>> And uh, it's not something you see every day of the week.

Uh, I think in a well advertised auction that this cabinet would probably bring $400 to $600.

>> Wow.

Thank you sir.

>> That's pretty good for something that, uh, one of your customers gave you.

>> That's right.

Exactly.

I have enjoyed myself today tremendously.

And thank you for your information, sir.

>> Yes sir.

Thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> I am here with none other than our appraiser Adam Lambert and Miss Honey Douglas from Vidalia, Mississippi.

They're here to tell us all about Miss Honey's whiskey jug.

>> Alright.

Well, so I know you just had this appraised.

What did it appraise for?

>> Uh, $300 to $400.

>> $300 to $400.

Well, the money is not in the jug.

The money's in the story about the jug.

Did you know that this jug is kind of culturally important to the city of Natchez?

>> Um, no.

>> So A.P.

Sims Alpha P. Sims was originally from Arkansas, they think.

And then he moved to Natchez and had a plethora of businesses in Natchez.

So he had a meat market, a furniture store.

He also had a bar that sold whiskey.

And I'm talking about in the late 1800s, turn of the century.

So being a entrepreneurial businessman, he moved his business to Vidalia across the river where he also had a barroom and sold alcohol.

Well, he got in trouble for selling to both African Americans and to white clients at the same time.

And so he sued the state of Louisiana to make it so that he could serve both under one roof.

He lost, then came back across the river in the early 1900s to Natchez to where he continued to sell liquor.

1908, they said no more liquor in Mississippi.

So he went back to Vidalia, started a shipping company that was today's modern Amazon to where you could ask for the liquor and they'd send it across the river for you in a shipping company.

And so Mississippi got wind of that.

So he sued Mississippi, they tried to shut him down, went all the way to the Supreme Court of Mississippi.

Mississippi said not only will we not let you sell liquor in Mississippi, you can't sell anything in Mississippi anymore.

And they booted him out.

So we went back to Louisiana to continue selling liquor there.

Later, Louisiana banned liquor sales as well.

He ended up in New Orleans and had a, essentially a flop house in New Orleans.

A cheap motel.

The cheap motel was shut down by the fire department and then razed, torn down.

This was like in 1925.

Well then in 1927 he dies and he's buried right back here in Natchez.

>> Wow.

>> So he couldn't stay away.

>> That is amazing.

>> Back and forth across the river, down to New Orleans, back here where he is buried today and all over whiskey.

>> All over this jug as well.

>> So the jugs are kind of everywhere.

Some of them will say Vidalia on them.

And it just depends where he was and who he was suing.

And I gotta mention that he also sued the fire marshal in New Orleans to not have his flop house razed.

So this guy's very litigious, very good businessman, apparently.

>> He was an entrepreneur for sure.

>> Definitely an entrepreneur.

But at the end of the day, it was all about the whiskey.

And so you'll find these that say Natchez and you'll also find them that say Vidalia.

But again, the story is in the jug and it's not necessarily worth, you're not gonna be able to retire off of it.

>> Right.

>> But it's just a fantastic story and a really, a piece of Natchez history.

You know, the stores were all up and down the Main Street here.

>> Right, right now, honey, have you-- Well, it's, it's crazy.

Have you put any honey in this jug?

>> No, none yet.

>> Any whiskey?

>> No.

>> No whiskey either.

>> Maybe some money.

>> Oh yeah.

There's a little bit of money in it.

>> Okay, sell?

Keep?

What are you gonna do, Miss Honey?

>> I'm gonna keep it.

>> Okay.

Okay.

>> Now you have a story with it.

>> Yes.

Yeah.

Good story.

>> Well, that's exactly what you want when you come out of the Mississippi Antique showcase.

Either a story or a great appraisal.

And I think you got a little bit of both.

>> That's right.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> Hello.

We're here today with something very special.

Yesterday we had a lot of, uh, really nice things that come out here in Natchez.

And, uh, we keep digging a little more and we just keep finding the good stuff.

And so, uh, today we have something very special we have, and I'm gonna allow Mr. Finley to, uh, to tell us.

>> What we know about this watch, what makes it super interesting is the engraving on the watch case.

The watch case says that this was a personal gift, a present from George Washington to Alexander McGillivray, leader at the time of the Creek Nation.

I believe that this watch was given to McGillivray as a personal gift, a thank you.

McGillivray only lived a few more years.

Died in 1793.

So that may account for the lack of wear or damage to the watch, 'cause he just didn't have it in his possession that, that long.

But then it passed to his-- down through his family, uh, his lineage.

Um, it made it all the way to Natchez, Mississippi.

And a few years ago, the Smithsonian contacted me about the watch.

Um, they were in the process of putting together a new, uh, exhibit for the Native American studies of the time period.

They arranged to borrow the watch and they borrowed it for four years.

And it was, it was on display at the Smithsonian.

>> My goodness.

>> They must have thought your watch was, was authentic.

>> Well, I don't have-- I wish I had direct concrete, you know, approval, approval without shadow of a doubt evidence.

I don't at the moment.

We are working on that still.

It's still being researched.

>> If the, if the paperwork comes back and it is authentic, uh, something of this nature, it's almost impossible to put a price on.

But I would say that it would-- Mark, what would you say first?

>> You know, it's one of those pieces that could bring almost anything.

It's dated 1790 and it's all inscribed George Washington to McGillivray.

You know, I'd love to see it in a well-advertised auction because this is the sort of piece they know if they don't buy it, they'll never have another chance the rest of their life.

>> Absolutely.

>> It's a piece that could bring anything.

And I think southern pieces like that are a lot harder to find because our Indians were moved out.

They were all moved to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma and here and there, and a lot of their history was lost.

So it's, to me, it's a lot rarer than a lot of the tribes.

Uh, you know, it's a piece that could bring a million dollars.

>> Well, I, I think it would bring more like $2 million or it could bring anything to tell you the truth.

It's a prize piece, and we'll have to dig it and do a lot of digging, Mark, if we're going to top this one.

>> We will.

It's the kind of piece that makes me get in my car and drive down here for these, and stay two or three days.

Yeah.

Uh, it's, it's like a, you know, a moment you just weren't expecting.

And, uh, you know, there's not many folks that get to see a watch that was possibly held by George Washington.

>> Yeah, that's right.

And thanks again.

>> You're so very welcome.

There's so many connections to Natchez because Natchez is the oldest city on the Mississippi River.

Uh, when you consider early American history, all of those characters at one time or another, walked through Natchez, >> Some of the most gracious people, I think, in the world live here in Natchez.

And, and Natchez has, has the history.

And if you just appreciate it, ask around and dig a little bit, you'll, you'll just, you'll be here forever.

>> It's true.

>> Doing this.

And thanks again.

>> Thank you very much.

>> Thank you.

Special item.

>> Join us next time on Mississippi Antique showcase and see if you have a hidden treasure in your closet.