Antiques Roadshow Bound

Antiques Roadshow fashion.

The line....for 11:00 AM only.

If I had a bucket list, attending the Antiques Roadshow would be on it.

I have tried the ticket lottery for years (only one submission on behalf of myself, I dislike the strategy of having everyone you know apply on your behalf) and never had any results. Someone above, err, in the Boston area, finally heard of my plight and offered me two tickets for the Boston taping last weekend. I pretty much died. Died I say!

What an adventure. The lot at the convention center was packed with cars from all over the country, people streaming in with dolly's packed with garage sale finds and family heirlooms. You know I was counting on one of my items to be a cash cow so mama could quit her day job. Alas, it was not meant to be.

We brought this lovely painting, above, given to me by my grandfather who jokingly told me for years that it was an ancestor of mine. We were politely informed that it was a reproduction before we even got into the appraisal area! To quote my grandfather, "imagine that"!

Next up, my favourite item and one that I was really curious about. It is a brass collar, inscribe C Stark, Value $100. Family story goes that it belonged to Caleb Stark, eldest son of Gen. John Stark (Revolutionary War hero, big for us ex-NHites), who owned mastiffs. My grandfather, owning the farm of General George Reid (another Revolutionary War type, also native to Derry NH), collected all sorts of Revolutionary war ephemera and doo-dads linked to the time. This collar was something he picked up from an auction years ago, that my mother handed to me when we got our bullmastiff. Fabulous story, which I relayed to Kerry Shrives, Skinner aficionado working the metalwork appraisal table, but alas, it's still just a cool dog collar, not really worth much more than $100-$150. Ironic, as the value is clearly stated on the object!

Also in the mix, this ivory handle wine opener. Collectable to oenophiles like my husband, otherwise not really worth too much on the open market. Drats!

And finally, these old time muskets. Completely decorative as it turns out. Which makes the fact that we had to go through special security for them all the more funny in retrospect.

Even though all my antique objects are essentially worthless, it did little to diminish the experience. I got to see all the brain power at Skinner in full effect, where I spied Karen Keane, Chief Executive Officer; Kerry Shrives, Director of Information & Technology, Fine Judaica and Toys, Dolls & Collectibles; and Robin Starr, Director of American & European Works of Art all on hand (I'm sure among others), appraising and sharing stories. The cherry on top? A Mark Walberg sighting.....much cuter in person, BTW. We got to meet all kinds of fabulous fun people who shared my love of the antique and strange.

Mayer Menino and his wife were also on hand, trying their luck with a few items of their own (personal and city owned alike). He fared slightly better than I, with a Hibbard painting that was rescued from the Mather School in Dorchester being appraised at $50-60,000.