We have tickets for Antiques Roadshow in San Jose this Saturday. We didn’t pay attention to the rules until it was too late to send in pictures of furniture, but my favorite piece, my desk, is just like the one shown a few weeks ago from a Philadelphia visit.
What we are bringing:
a 1797 sampler that came from my wife’s family.
Some paintings, ivory elephants, and a wooden statue we got in the Congo between 1961 and 1962. I haven’t seen much stuff like this, and I was right there when this stuff was bought at the Ivory Market in Leopoldville.
A Rolmonica - a Harmonica with a piano roll. You blow, turn a crank, and paper with hole punches control the song. My father-in-law bought this in the '30s, and we have the original box and a bunch of the music.
A clock from the early 1900s. Might be too much of a pain to bring.
I know some Dopers have been. What can I expect. Any hints about getting on? We have an early admission slot, so I hope the lines won’t be too backed up.
I’ve been to one in the U.K. Early queues were very heavy but were much shortened by lunchtime. You’ll probably only have time for 2 items per person. You start off in one main queue and are filtered by an initial screener who gives you tickets for the various specialist queues and checks for potentially interesting items. I took a painting for them to identify the artist - all we could make out was the last name, which was the same as a very famous artist. The greeter picked up on this and I stupidly said that we’d confirmed that it wasn’t the very famous artist. Else I’d have gone to the front of the queue. :smack: (I saw that happen with other people). I got seen after queueing for another hour or more, and the TV expert and his assistant both saw all comers as long as the TV expert wasn’t filming. I got seen by the assistant.
If one of your items is selected for filming, you may be taken away from the queue area to a separate area for filming with the TV expert - one with better lighting etc.
Make sure any paintings are well wrapped: it can be very crowded and it’s very easy for someone to put an elbow or whatever through your painting. I used bubblewrap and unwrapped when I was only a few places off the experts.
Lucky dog, I applied for tickets to the San Jose show along with three other people and none of us got any. Just as well, though, as the guitar I was going to bring is apparently in Colorado with my brother.
That reminds me of the Addams Family episode with paintings by Sam Picasso.
My wife and I are going, so we have two per person. They are pretty clear about the limit. I think the Congo stuff will qualify as a set - the pictures are fairly small, but thanks for the advice on wrapping them. I’m dubious about the clock because it is pretty heavy, but it is a shame to give up on an item.
From what I’ve heard most of the fun is in interacting with everyone else waiting in the lines, seeing all the things they’ve brought etc…the Rolmonica sounds interesting.
Your sampler will almost certailnly be the star item. The clock, assuming not a rare maker, will be a $100-200. US item That’s just what they sell for.
If you don’t get enough attention at Antiques Roadshow, try taking your sampler to a local needlework shop, if you have one. And I guaran-damn-tee you that they will be all that like hogs on slop. And possibly will be able to refer you to a needlework appraisal specialist or textile historian who can tell you more about it.
Congratulations! It’s so much fun! We went to the one in San Antonio in 2007. As I recall, you can only bring a couple of items but if it is a “set” there can be more. The show was the most organized, professionally run thing I’ve ever seen. When I saw all the people, I thought this is going to be a cluster-you-know-what. Instead, they organized everyone into lines that flowed seamlessly. You’re lucky to have an early ticket. Before we went, I heard that the appraisers start getting crabby towards the evening. As far as tips, make sure you get there early. If anything you have is the least bit heavy, you might want to bring a cart or wagon. A 3 lb. item might not seem like much, but carrying it around for a couple of hours can get tiresome. When you get into the actual appraisal area, they will point you in the right direction. There are banners indicating what is appraised at each table–toys, metalwork, etc. I’d suggest that before you get your appraisal, walk around for fun and see who you can spot. The Kenos! Noel! Wes! Rudy! If you want to stand out, wear an unusual color or print, so you and your friends can spot you on tv (stand up straight and don’t scratch your ass or pick your nose-ha!) Our appraisal wasn’t filmed, but we were very clearly in the background in several shots. They don’t just put all the good appraisals on tv–ours was very good. But I don’t think I would be comfortable with the public knowing what I have in my house–just something to think about. Have Fun!!
We went a few years ago when it was in Vegas…be prepared to wait, and wait, and wait…but when you get to the front of the line, they are quite nice and give you some time.
We had nothing of great value, but my SO was surprised that a pair of sconces he had were worth $300 and he thought at best about $100.
BTW, I see they finally found the $1 million dollar item this year…they have given hints and supposedly that episode will be aired this fall. I can’t wait to see the face of the person who brought the items in - I am a bit foggy on details, but I think it was Chinese pottery?
If you’re filmed, remember that your reaction is being broadcast on TV - so show a little enthusiasm. People hear that they’re making a 500% profit and just look ho-hum.
All done. And samclem - your appraisal mojo could use some work.
We had the 8 am slot, and got to the convention center at 7:30, when there was still plenty of parking. We lined up outside, and they shot the line shouting “Welcome to Antiques Roadshow” and “Welcome to San Jose.” We got in well before 8. The line was not very long at all. Someone told my wife that they had the crew shooting the stations in the morning, so to keep the crowds down there are fewer people in the first few “seatings” than later. They go to 7:30, and in the late afternoon the lines are a few hours long, especially for things like paintings.
My Congo art was assigned to tribal art, and I was the line. Alas, not interesting, partly because they need to track down the artist for paintings, which is impossible. I was done at 8:01.
My wife took the sampler and the rollmonica. The sampler is stained (we had it cleaned, but the stain is probably 100 years old) and is worth only a few hundred dollars. They sent her to collectibles for the Rollmonica. The guy there had never seen one, and brought it to musical instruments. That guy said he had, and her music was in the best condition he’d ever seen. $400 - $500! I saw the Ebay listings - clearly ours is better than those, or someone there is getting ripped off.
We were out the garage by 8:30. I didn’t do the feedback booth but she did, but she’s the only one in our family who hasn’t been on national TV. She played the rollmonica, so maybe it will get on.
The show airs Jan. 14, supposedly.
Fun to do, and a lot more fun for not having to wait in line.
Sorry if I seemed a downer. I only try to tell you what you might get in the real world.
If you hauled that around and tried to find a buyer at $200, I doubt you could find one.
For all their showmanship on the program, the provided you with an optimistic retail appraisal of the item The condition could, indeed, make it something you could sell for over $100. and maybe even more. It might cost you $200-400 to replace it.
If you asked the appraiser at the show how you could get anthing approaching the value he put on it, he’d be at a loss to suggest how to get half.
Again, not trying to put down your items, just something that I contend with on a daily basis in my business life.
samclem, my understanding is that the appraisers there have actually seen the item in question.
Appraising in specific areas is also part of their businesses and they have access to an incredible amount of resources at the Antique Auction site if there is disagreement or doubt among them. (Yes, they have access to eBay.)
The Antique Roadshow often reminds people that a suggested insurance value may be quite different from an auction value. But then, I’ve seen auction prices soar much above estimates of appraisers too.
The original box and the several pieces of music are probably more valuable than even the harmonica in reasonably good condition.
And you know that how?
Since you don’t know the value for absolute gol-durn sure and you haven’t seen this particular item, why must you once again be The Authority no matter how rude you have to be?
Voyager, You might find this virtual harmonica museum interesting. The curator wants to talk with anyone who owns a rollmonica and other unusual harps. He said there were only about 200 pieces of music produced on rolls for the harmonica.
My first harp was red on one side and green on the other. Plastic, of course. For some reason, my mother threw it out. My most recent was made by Tiffany & Co. Not half as much fun.
It was the rolls, the fact that they were in their original boxes, and their condition which contributed to the appraisal. (And that there were a lot of them.)
Beyond that we’re not going to go, since we have no interest in selling the stuff.
Not unless they use her in the Feedback Booth. The rollmonica was not nearly worth enough money to be interesting. The top item, according to the paper, was a bowl from an Alaskan tribe which came into a family in 1877 and is now worth $200K. They escorted the owner to his car. I’ve often wondered what they do for someone who is carrying a > $100 K item.
A friend of mine got tickets for the SJ show, too. When I talked to her last week, she was still trying to decide what to take. I’ll see if I can get her impressions to add to the thread.
