STURBRIDGE, Mass. - The line to get into Old Sturbridge Village went back dozens of people Tuesday. But this wasn't an average day at the museum, as the popular show "Antiques Roadshow" set up shop for the day.

"I think it's really special to see people from Massachusetts, especially central and western Massachusetts, have a chance to show off their stuff," said Matt Abramovitz, President of New England Public Media. "There's some beautiful woodwork I saw earlier and some paintings that are really unique to this region."

What You Need To Know

  • "Antiques Roadshow" filmed three episodes in Sturbridge Tuesday

  • The show was in Massachusetts for the first time in more than a decade

  • 2,000 pairs of tickets were given out for people looking to get appraisals

  • The Sturbridge episode is expected to air some time in the first half of 2024

2,000 pairs of tickets were given out for people to get their items appraised. More than 18,000 people applied. After trying for years, some were able to make their first trip to the show.

"I applied four times," said Maureen. "I applied when they were in Newport, Providence and Boston over the years."

Maureen brought in a painting she got from a friend roughly 30 years ago.

"I wasn't interested in the value, although she said it could be as much as $2,500," she said. "That's not the point. I wanted the authentication."

It was a similar story for Ken and Karen. They brought four items for appraisal, including a painting which has been in Karen's family her whole life.

"We're excited about learning about what we were hoping to learn, and also seeing all of the other things that people are bringing and how important they are to them to," said Karen.

Things like artwork, jewelry, and furniture. Items were separated into 23 different categories.

"You know, woodenware, boxes, lamps, pretty much decorative arts as a catch all," said appraiser Kerry Shrives.

There's the old saying, 'one man's trash is another man's treasure.' Some in Sturbridge Tuesday were able to find a bit of the treasure.

"Leaf baseball cards, and they're going to end up being worth over $100,000," said the show's executive producer Marsha Bemko. "They're from 1948, bought by the guest's father or grandfather, back then for pennies a pack."

And for the museum, it was fitting to have the show visit their grounds.

"Bringing artifacts from their homes and their families and telling the stories connected to those artifacts, which is exactly what we do here at Old Sturbridge Village every day," said Jim Donahue, the museum's President and CEO.