I Won Tickets to Antiques Roadshow - And It Was Less Than an Hour From My Michigan Cabin

Hand-Picked by Heidi 

Winning tickets to Antiques Roadshow has been an ultimate dream of mine long before I ever started Hand-Picked by Heidi. If you love the thrill of the hunt - the quiet hope that something meaningful might be hiding in plain sight - you understand why this day felt so special.

And then came the serendipity: the Roadshow was filming at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan - less than an hour from my northern Michigan cabin. No flights. No chaos. Just a summer drive, and the best part of all: I got to take my mom! 

Limited Tickets, Perfect Timing

If you’ve ever tried to attend Antiques Roadshow, you know the tickets are limited. When we found out we were selected, it felt like the universe giving a wink. This wasn’t just an outing - it was a full-circle moment for me as a vintage hunter, storyteller, and curator.

What Surprised Me Most: How Accessible Everyone Was

I expected it to feel big and intimidating. What I didn’t expect was how warm and approachable the entire experience felt - from the volunteers to the experts. It was organized, calm, and genuinely human.

What Happens When You Arrive at Antiques Roadshow

Each guest could bring two items. The first stop was an initial check-in where staff reviewed what we brought, gave us paperwork, and assigned each item to a category (art, collectibles, folk art, and more). Then we joined the lines around the castle grounds - chatting with our “line neighbors,” peeking at treasures, and trading estate sale stories.

The Appraisal Process (Step by Step):

Step 1:  Initial intake + paperwork
Step 2: Category assignment (Art, Collectibles, Folk Art, etc.)
Step 3: Wait under tents with specialists in each category
Step 4: If selected, some guests are filmed on set

The Items We Brought (And What We Learned)

The $25 Still Life Painting That Lives in My Cabin

I brought a still life painting of ducks that I purchased at an estate sale for <strong>$25</strong> years ago. It still hangs in my Michigan cabin. I didn’t know the artist, and honestly - I don’t know much about ducks. I just loved it.

Our appraiser, Karen, took time to really investigate. In the end, due to damage, she couldn’t confidently identify the artist’s name - but she appraised it at $650–$800. Not bad for trusting your eye.

Vintage Automotive Racing Photographs (Bugatti)

I brought a collection of old automotive racing photographs, including Bugatti images. Because not all were original, the collection was valued around $200. These photos are now available in my stall at STARS Antique Market.

18th-Century Transferware

Beautiful, old, and full of history. It was categorized under folk art, and while not highly valuable monetarily, it’s exactly the kind of piece I love living with. These are now going into our remodel as art - because value isn’t always a number.

The Filming Sets Were Pure Magic

We watched filming happening throughout the grounds—people with extraordinary stories and objects. The most surprising sightings?
A giant, life-size stuffed bull
A woman with a rare lightning rod
A young kid being filmed for what looked like a card collection

I can’t wait to watch the episode and see if we made it into the background - two women in green wandering the grounds, grinning like kids in a museum.

Why This Day Mattered

This experience wasn’t just about appraisals. It reaffirmed everything I believe about vintage and why I built Hand-Picked by Heidi: Trust your eye. Let the story matter. Beauty doesn’t need permission.

The still life still hangs in my cabin. The transferware becomes part of our home. And the photos are ready for their next chapter at STARS. Nothing needed to change - only the story got richer.

Want Me to Hunt for You?

If you’re looking for a specific vintage piece (art, objects, décor, collectible treasures), I’d love to keep an eye out for you. You can explore what’s currently available through Hand-Picked by Heidi - and if you have something special in mind, send me a note so I can add it to my hunt list.

Shop the latest: HandPickedByHeidi.com 

Visit me in person: STARS Antique Market, Hermosa Beach

Michigan + Vintage + The Thrill of the Hunt