APPRAISER: Every once in a
while, something just comes up
to the table at ROADSHOW and

I just start to giggle, because
I see some really exciting
things.

What did you bring in today?

GUEST: This is a pencil vending
machine that will actually print
your name on the pencil.

APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: It's from about 1925.

I actually collect pencils.

I collect advertising pencils.

And so I found some from a
fellow collector that said
Vendex.

And I'm, like, "There's got to
be a machine that goes along
with this."

So I spent two or three years
just looking for the machine,
and finally found one.

APPRAISER: And how long
ago did you buy this?

GUEST: It was about
three years ago.

I paid $325 for it.

APPRAISER: Now, pencil
collecting is a very specific
art.

How did you get into that?

GUEST: When I was younger, I
would tag along with my grandpa
to flea markets.

And any time Grandpa would be
buying something, it was
something cheap for me to pick
up at

the same time.

APPRAISER: And how
many do you have now?

GUEST: I have about 60,000.

APPRAISER: And the other
collectors, where do you in the
hierarchy of collecting pencils?

GUEST: I'd say I'm
about in the middle.

There's, there's a few that have
more than me, but mine, mine's
getting up there.

APPRAISER: So, doing research on
this, I was looking at the
patent.

I've seen two show up before.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: One has been
in restored shape.

I have never seen one
in original condition.

And the best that I can
tell, this is all original.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: It has a few little
replacement bits, but overall,
it looks original.

The paint looks correct.

The glass in the
front is perfect.

In this condition, unrestored,
and, unfortunately, inoperable
at the moment...

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: We'd be looking at
around a $500 to $800 auction
estimate.

GUEST: Wow, that's awesome.

APPRAISER: If it worked, I guess
about $1,000, $1,200, top end.

But it's a just fun, exciting,
weird little piece.