So. You’ve inherited Grandma’s clock. Now it’s time to find out what it’s worth!
The Friends of the Page-Walker will host a weekend of antiquing on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4-5, at the Antiques Appraisal Fair. On Saturday, you can get verbal assessments of your treasured antiques by noted PBS expert Ken Farmer of “Antiques Roadshow,” and his team.
This is the third Appraisal Fair the Friends have hosted, the last in 2014. New this year is local jewelry expert J. Michael Edwards, Senior Gemologist at J.M. Edwards Jewelry, who will be one of three appraisers at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center in downtown Cary on Saturday.
Memorable items from previous events include several from the Civil War era — a sword, newspapers reporting news from the battlefield, and a complete Confederate soldier’s uniform, said Pat Fish, Friends of the Page-Walker board member and one of the event organizers.
“That impressed all of us for that to have been brought,” she said of the uniform.
For $10 each, you can have up to three items appraised, with tickets sold in one-hour time slots.
Everyone shares stories about their items as they wait in line, which adds fun and excitement to the experience, says Fish.
“I remember last time, a young woman was wearing one of these tiny little vintage watches that she had brought to be appraised. It was maybe from the ‘30s or ‘40s,” she recalled. “It may have been worth $300-$400, and she was thrilled. She was telling everybody about it. She was so tickled with the appraisal.”
Tips: Along with your collectible, bring any handwritten or typed identifying information about it. And rather than lugging a large piece of furniture, bring a drawer from it or a photograph.
Tickets for Farmer’s Friday evening presentation, Tales from the Road & New Discoveries, are $25 per person and include Farmer’s adventures from “Antiques Roadshow” and a wine, cheese and dessert reception.
“He’ll talk about his interesting experiences, not only on the ‘Roadshow.’ He’s an appraiser who travels all over the country, so he has lots of stories to tell,” said Fish.
Proceeds of the event will benefit the Friends’ ongoing historic preservation and archival efforts.
The Friends of the Page-Walker is an all-volunteer nonprofit that serves as a guardian for the Page-Walker Arts and History Center, advocates preservation of Cary historical sites, archives history and facilitates history education, and promotes cultural arts.
For information about the Antiques Appraisal Fair, visit friendsofpagewalker.org, or call (919) 460-4963.
