Guess where Jay and I were today. Guess. Come on, do it.
Antiques Roadshow! Hahahaha. We were. Antiques Roadshow was filming in Phoenix today. We like to watch it on PBS. I always shout out the price I think am item will come in at.
"SIX TO SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS" I shout into the living room.
Underneath the item scrolls the words, Folk art chest 1870, $6,500.00.
I'm not always spot on but I tend to be fairly close.
Several months ago I heard they were coming to Phoenix. I got on-line and entered my name in the ticket lottery. Several weeks ago I got the e-mail that I had been picked to receive tickets. COOL. So Jay and I drove down to Phoenix. We took four items; an old sword, a vase, a bell and a cameo pendant. On the ticket there was an entrance time. DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY, the ticket warned in a menacing tone. We were at the door to the convention center at 10:50. Stood in the first line for about an hour. They gave us tickets for each classification (we had four different ones; Asian Arts, jewelry, military and glass). Stood in line another 20 - 40 minutes each for the vase, the sword and the bell. Did NOT make it to the jewelry table because we were starving and tired of lines.
The sword was made in 1890 in Klingenthal, France. It had been used, as in probably did sever a few limbs (how would they know that?). Worth $200 - $300. The vase had us going. The woman looking at it, got up and went to a few other appraisers to discuss it. We thought we were millionaires. Or at least might be able to afford a nice lunch. She came back clueless though. Could be real, could be a reproduction. She said to have it appraised by Southebys in New York. Yeah, right. Anyhow, I love that vase. The bell was from WWII Japan but worth about ten bucks. The best part was the people-watching. There was, sadly, an abundance of dashed hopes as folks were told that the hand carved walking stick they inherited from their great uncle Ted was NOT worth thirty thousand dollars. One woman had a clock all wrapped up in a blanket and bungee corded to a wagon. She was sure it was a major collectible. Thought it might be in the HUNDREDS of thousands. When the guy appraising that classification told her it was a reproduction and that there were a million made and hers might be worth about fifty bucks, I thought she was going to heave it at him. The guy in line in front of us had so much make-up on Jay and I could not take our eyes off him. He must have been 60, jet black hair that glistened with hair spray, eye liner, and a strangely orange tan that stopped at his neck and ears.
A good one was the carousel horse that was old and chipped and beautiful that was appraised for twenty thousand. That couple was very happy and as they walked out someone asked them what is appraised for. "The price of a new car" they said.
It was fun, and one of those things that I only have to do once. Done. Checked off the list. I'm very content to watch it on PBS. I think I'm going to sell the sword, keep the vase, wear the Cameo, and ring the bell while I sit on the couch watching Antiqes Roadshow to have one of the servants bring me another glass of wine. Perfect.
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