Antiques Roadshow guest devastated over real value of '£3,700 Beatles vinyl record'

An guest was left devastated after discovering that his prized Beatles collectible - which he believed was worth thousands - was actually worth just a few dollars. Show appraiser Gary Sohmers, best known for his 13 seasons on the US show, recently opened up to fans during a , offering brutally honest insights into the world of collectible valuations. Introducing himself to fans, Sohmers wrote: "IAmA appraiser and expert of Pop Culture collectibles, 13 seasons on 'Antiques Roadshow,' starting a new tech biz revolutionizing the autograph industry... AMA [ask me anything] about autographs, collectibles, and their values.

"I'll be here to answer YOUR questions about me, my work, and any items you have or had, and will give you my best expert opinion on their value..." One fan asked the question that revealed a major moment of disappointment for one Beatles fan. They wrote: "What's the biggest disappointment you've had to break to someone? I'm sure there are things people think are worth their weight in gold but are actually worthless."

Sohmers didn't hold back, recalling one moment that left a fan crushed: "On Roadshow I did stab a few people in the heart and did burst a few bubbles ... a guy brought in a Beatles LP he thought was worth $5000 'Introducing the Beatles' VJ LP but it was a counterfeit worth only $3-5 [£2-£4]."

The seller, who believed he was sitting on a goldmine, left crushed by the disappointing news. Sohmers went on to reveal even more eye-watering moments of disappointment from his years on the road

He penned: "I see a lot of The Who 'Live At Leeds' where people think they found the original contract for Woodstock. I told a guy once his $5000 Cocoa Cola posters, once they were cut into jigsaw puzzles by his uncle, were only worth $50 each ... and he had 50 of them ... he laughed in a weird way ..."

Other questions piled, such as: "What is the most valuable item you have ever appraised?" Sohmers went on to explain a staggering valuation he made of a Charles Schultz painting.

"On TV I appraised a collection of Charles Schulz art (Peanuts) for $450,000 [£339,200], but privately have appraised collections in the millions." Another question read: "What are some of your favorite items? What are some of the strangest items?"

Sohmers revealed: "Favorite items include Roger Rabbit items from original movie release, rock n roll concert posters and autographs (my Walt Disney and NASA astronauts make me happiest).

"My specialty is finding weird stuff and selling it to weird people ... I do like a lot of vintage Magic items and Automatons ... but they disappear as soon as I get them."

Back in 2012, US auctioneer Gary Sohmers found himself in a heated clash with show producers across the pond following the restrictions the programme places on appraisers.

The expert revealed that independent appraisers pay their own way to visit various cities for a chance to appear on the long-running show. He added: "The question remains... will I be invited to appear as an appraiser this season in an environment that is not hostile to me?"