GUEST: It's one of the best paintings I've seen of Harold Newton, the leader of the group of Highwaymen painters.

They were in Fort Pierce area, and I grew up in Indialantic, across the river, and they would drive up to the family business and walk, knock on the door, and say, "Come on out and see today's paintings, and you can buy 'em for 25 bucks."

APPRAISER: When did you get this painting and how?

GUEST: I got it, uh, about 13 years ago.

APPRAISER: 13 years ago.

GUEST: At an estate sale in St.

Louis.

And being in St.

Louis, there's not many people that knew about the Highwaymen painters.

And so when I got down to the basements of this house, I saw some sort of wetland painting, and I said, "That could be Florida."

And then when I saw the frame, I said, "That's a Highwaymen painting."

APPRAISER: Ah.

GUEST: It's that distinct.

So I wanted to go closer, and my heart beating... (imitates) And I looked at, at the, and the signature... APPRAISER: Saw the signature.

GUEST: And I said, "This is the best one, and I'm going to get it for..." $40.

APPRAISER: So, wait a second, you're telling me you bought this painting for $40 13 years ago.

GUEST: Unbelievable.

APPRAISER: That's an incredible, incredible story.

(both laughing) APPRAISER: Harold Newton was a founding member of the Florida Highwaymen, a bunch of African American artists who, out of necessity, in the mid-'50s, established the group.

During a time of segregation and discrimination they had difficulties showing their work... GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: ...getting training-- all the opportunities that were available to other artists were not available to them.

And so they formed this group as a way to support one another and develop their skills.

And as you pointed out, they were selling the works by knocking on people's doors, selling it out of the trunks of their cars next to the highway.

That's where the "Highwaymen" name came from.

GUEST: Banks, gas stations, restaurants.

APPRAISER: Yes.

GUEST: They would just go in wherever they could.

APPRAISER: Exactly.

(chuckles) And so this particular painting, though, it's just a striking image.

Wow.

It demonstrates his skill as an artist.

Shortly after this was painted, he'd probably sell this for maybe 50 or 60 bucks.

Typically he ranged, like, $25 to maybe $50.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: It's an oil on fiberboard.

He was born in 1934 and he died in 1994.

So it'd be, like, a circa 1970s, I would say.

That's a guess.

'Cause the painting is not dated, but it is signed "H.

Newton."

It's in very good shape.

The paint looks great.

I think if it were to come up to auction, I would put an estimate of between $10,000 and $15,000.

GUEST: Wow!

That is nice.

APPRAISER: Yes.

GUEST: Thank you very much.