Antiques Appraisal Day -The Quest For Treasure Comes To The Meeting House
Antiques Appraisal Day â
The Quest For Treasure Comes To The Meeting House
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arge books, small books, precious silver pitchers, antiquarian prints, Civil War rifles, and ephemera all were among the items inspected last Sunday at the Newtown Historical Societyâs Antiques Appraisal Day at the Newtown Meeting House on Main Street.
Ranks of residents brought their treasures to a front table in the Meeting House, where a team of antiques appraisers inspected the pieces in seeking to establish their market value.
On the team were Tucker Frey, Wayne Mattox, Don Broderick, and Steve Stieglitz.
Mr Frey, the owner of Tucker Frey Antiques of Woodbury, specializes in 17th, 18th, and early 19th Century furniture and decorative accessories.
Mr Mattox of Woodbury owns an auction gallery and an antiques appraisal service. He is the author of the syndicated newspaper column âAntique Talk.â
Mr Broderick owns Broderickâs Antiques in Springfield, Mass.
Mr Stieglitz of Newtown and Manhattan is a specialist in jewelry evaluation.
The four men brought their depth and breadth of experience to bear Sunday as they gauged the value of the array of items presented.
Besides providing information on the market value of individual pieces, the appraisers offered comments on the proper care and handling of the items presented to preserve their value.  Â
The cross-lit Meeting House proved an appropriate setting for an antiques appraisal session. The structure, which is a former Congregational church, is itself an antique building.
Participants received appraisals for $5 per item, with the proceeds benefiting the Historical Society.
For the first time at the annual event, the appraisers used an amplifier while commenting on the pieces presented to them, providing the audience with an easily audible running commentary on the items being evaluated.
As the four appraisers commented on the items presented to them, the piecesâ owners stood by, listening attentively to glean some bits of antique knowledge about the value and proper care of their treasures.