“That horse is worth what?!”

As a longtime fan of Antiques Roadshow (old before my time I guess), I’ve become amused by all of the recent television shows trying to get in on the auction action. When was the last time PBS was this hip? With some interest then I tuned in last night to an episode of NBC’s entry into the cycle: It’s Worth What? (starring Cedric the Entertainer).  The series, according to the Hollywood Reporter, “marks the latest in the buried treasure shows craze; Fox recently green-litBuried Treasure; Spike TV has Auction Hunters; Discovery runs Auction Kings, [A& E has Storage Wars], and TLC airs What the Sell?!.”

I found myself taken aback when last night’s contestant on It’s Worth What? was asked to decide which of the following items was worth the most money: a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, an original poster for the movie E.T., a seventeenth-century French tapestry, or Trigger and Bullet (former companions of Roy Rogers).  As it turns out, Trigger and Bullet (each preserved by taxidermy) won hands down – they are worth $301,500. Why not showcase the body of a human, I wondered. Perhaps you’re anthropomorphizing a horse and a dog, my companion replied? Hmm….

Although it is not mentioned on the show, the figure of $301,500 the amount that Trigger and Bullet were purchased for in 2010, when Roy’s estate was auctioned off at Christies of New York. The pair were purchased by RFD-TV (a subsidiary of Rural Media Group, Inc.), which describes itself as “home to the most comprehensive lineup of agriculture-based programs ever assembled on one channel.”  In addition to appearing on It’s Worth What?, Trigger and Bullet are currently touring the United States as the featured attraction on RDF-TV’s Happy Trails Tour.