Watch ‘Antiques Roadshow’ Appraise Vintage Breast Implants Made in Midland, MI

This has got to be a "Roadshow" first, right?

It was a typical Tuesday evening at home and I was watching my PBS favorite, "Antiques Roadshow",  when I nearly fell out of my chair as a pair of vintage breast implants flashed across my screen.

Get our free mobile app

That's how far we've come, we're allowing breast implants to be appraised on "Antiques Roadshow"?

We know and love the show for its fascinating free appraisals of family heirlooms, unique garage and estate sale picks, and rare attic and basement finds-- and the weirder, the better! But I think this is absolutely the most bizarre item I've ever seen featured on the show.

And wouldn't you know it, our story begins right here in Pure Michigan!

A recent "Roadshow" stop at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage featured a young man who brought in his heirloom "mammary protheses"  a.k.a. breast implants made at Dow Corning in 1965.

According to the man his grandmother, who was an avid estate and garage sale-r, purchased the new in the box never used implants at a garage sale explaining,

It's a bit of a funny joke...everyone always asks, like, 'In what context do you have your grandmother's implants?' New in the box, still in the package...

I'm not exactly sure "funny" is the right word for it.

About Dow Corning

Headquartered in Midland, Michigan Dow Corning was established in 1943 between manufacturing giants Dow Chemical and Corning Glass. The companies explored and manufactured silicone products including, "sealants, rubbers, and solvents."

Yes, that also includes breast implants.

Actually, Dow Corning was flooded with lawsuits in the '90s from customers complaining of a wide-range of ailments including lupus, neurological issues, and breast cancer. Says Wikipedia,

This led to numerous lawsuits beginning in 1984 and culminating in a 1998 $3.2 Billion class action settlement. As a result, Dow Corning was in bankruptcy protection for nine years, ending in June 2004 during which time it largely withdrew from clinical markets.

So, it's probably for the best that these implants were never used.

How Much Are They Worth?

Sadly, the "Antiques Roadshow" appraisers only valued the man's vintage breast implants worth $100.

But at least he's got a good story out of it-- and PBS viewers like you also got a good laugh too!