An Antiques Roadshow guest terrified viewers after revealing his "creepy clown" doll – which had a jaw-dropping value.
In the episode of the US version of the show, the woman explained that her grandfather had bought it in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She said: "I can remember as a young child sitting down and watching this every, so many times a year, only on special occasions."
The doll was actually an "automaton" – a moving mechanical device made in imitation of a person – and was very expensive when it was made in the late 19th century. Her particular model, made by Lambert, played music, moved and performed "magic tricks".
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Toy expert Noel Barret explained: "It's really not a toy. It's really what we call an automaton. Automatons have a great history. They were very expensive and really, each one was almost like a museum piece.
"Faberge made automatons for the Tsars. What we have here comes into the late 19th century, when these things began to be made, not mass produced, but manufactured by companies like Lambert, who made this one, started making these for the newly wealthy bourgeoisie.
"What really makes this a lot of fun is that it is a magician. It has music plus a little magic act."
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He played the music and the doll started to move, waving his wand and changing the items hidden under his silver cone. Barrett explained that the clown would be worth a whopping $8,000 to $12,000 today.
However, fans of the show were left terrified of the doll after seeing a clip on TikTok. Many took to the comments claiming they would be too scared to have it in their home as it would be "watching while they're sleeping".
One user wrote: "There’s no way that thing doesn’t watch you while you’re sleeping." Another added: "Please God no. Those eyes look too real." A third commented: "Terrifyingly awesome."
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