BILLINGS Two celebrity appraisers from PBS's "Antique Roadshow" came to Billings on Friday to help dozens of Montanans discover what their most prized, and sometimes forgotten, possessions are worth.The Montana Appraisal Fair, hosted by the Foundation for Montana History at the Yellowstone Art Museum, drew residents carrying everything from family heirlooms to thrift store finds.Watch the story below: Montana Appraisal Fair brings history and memories to BillingsThe annual event, held for the first time in Billings, served as a fundraiser for the nonprofit foundations grant program, which supports history and preservation projects across Montana. Participants paid a fee to have their items evaluated by professional appraisers. Among the highlights of the public appraisals were a Charlie Russell painting and handwritten letter, valued at around $900,000, and a 1926 Lincoln Touring Car from Yellowstone National Park, appraised at around $175,000.For many attendees, curiosity mattered more than a potential payday.Everything made on the face of Earth has a history, appraiser Timothy Gordon said. Theres an art behind it. Theres a story behind it. Gordon and fellow appraiser Grant Zahajko have both appeared on PBSs Antiques Roadshow and have worked appraisal events across the country. Throughout the day, they examined everything from paintings and jewelry to family keepsakes and sports memorabilia.We've seen really, really fine paintings come in from the crowd. We've seen Lou Gehrig baseball memorabilia. We've seen super rare coins," said Gordon. A lot of times we're helping them to understand what they have, but then we're also letting them know what the value of their objects are in an entertainment sense."Gordon, who is originally from Missoula, has appraised some of the most historically significant items in the country. "For a while, the US government would have me appraise, for instance, the historic contents of Yellowstone (National Park), and my next project might be Jim Morrison of The Doors, writings when he passed away in a bathtub in Paris. Then I appraised Princess Diana's gowns at Kensington Palace," he said. "I'm always looking for more."Most people came searching for answers, not fortunes.Donna Todd came to the fair with a Chinese mask and a painting from her family's ranch home."I brought in a piece of art that was in my family's ranch house in Columbus, and it just hung on the wall for 40 years," she said. "I always was intrigued by it and wondered who and what and what it was, and if it ever had any value. We always wondered." The painting turned out to be by artist Maurice Lapp and was appraised at about $3,000. Todd said learning its history mattered just as much as the number attached to it."That made me very happy, because now I can hang it with pride," Todd said.Nancy and Matt Knight of Billings each brought deeply personal items tied to family memories. Matt Knight brought comic books from his late brothers collection, and Nancy Knight brought a doll her mother gave her, along with a purse connected to her fathers service during World War II originally made in India. Originally, I just wanted to find out about this doll that was given to me when I was 10 years old by my mom," said Nancy Knight. "I did find out she was created in 1958 by the Ideal Doll Company, and she is called Betty the Beautiful Bride.I brought a couple of comic books from my brother's collection. He passed away a few years ago," said Matt Knight. "These are $50 or $60, so not going to get rich."Despite the numerical value, the real worth was never about the money. When asked if they would ever consider selling the items, the Knights did not hesitate."No, she's mine, and this is from my dad from a time in history given to my grandmother," said Nancy. "It's special. She's very special.""This is what I have left of my brother," added Matt. Gordon said moments like those are what the fair is really about."A lot of times the personal value is worth more. I had a number of people come in with things from their parents' estates today, and they tear up over it because a lot of times it's a treasured possession," he said. ...read more read less