Antiques Appraisals Returning, Will Be At New Location This Year

Newtown Historical Society will be offering people a chance to find out the value of their treasures, large and small, with the Seventh Annual Newtown Historical Society Appraisals Day. This year’s event will be Sunday, April 10, from 2 to 5 pm.

The event is moving this year to the lower community/meeting room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street in Newtown.

Verbal appraisals will be $5 per item, with a limit of three items per turn in line. All proceeds will benefit the historical society.

Whether it’s a family heirloom, the latest find from a flea market or a curious piece of jewelry, a four-person panel of appraisers will be ready for anything. The experts will work as a team to evaluate items, offering appraisals and commentary, prodivind a depth not often found at appraisal events.

The return panel consists of Tucker Frey, the owner of Tucker Frey Antiques in Woodbury and a specialist in 17th, 18th and early 19th Century furniture and decorative accessories; Wayne Mattox, also of Woodbury, the owner of auction gallery and appraisal service, and the author of the syndicated column “Antique Talk”; Steve Stieglitz of Manhattan and Newtown, an experienced jewelry evaluator; and Jack DeStories of Newtown, co-owner of Fairfield Auction Gallery, who possesses a wealth of antiques knowledge ranging from furniture, paintings and decorative arts to clocks, collectibles, autographs and even sports memorabilia.

The panel encourages the presentation of furniture for appraisal. Large pieces can be evaluated by photograph or, if brought to the library but too cumbersome to carry in, an appraiser will step outside for viewing during the 4 to 5 pm hour.

The appraisers’ comments will be audible to the audience, allowing entertainment for those who are in line as well as an education during the three-hour run of the event.

Attendees of the appraisal day will also be welcome to visit the library’s Third Floor Collections Room, where an open house of the library’s antiques and collectibles special reading collection.

This event, which will be running from 1 to 5 pm, will highlight the library’s extensive collection of over 3,200 reference books available to further assist the experienced or novice antiques collector; books with comparative photographs, makers’ symbols, values, histories and other resources to identify antiques and collectibles.

A raffle will be held in conjunction with the open house, with giveaways of new books on antiques and value guides.

Refreshments will be served on the library’s first floor.

Call Newtown Historical Society at 426-5937 for additional information.