They came in the rain. They came with jewels and a dragon, and the ubiquitous pocket watch last worn by grandfather. They came with memories of family members who have passed and, doubtless, more than one secretly hoped for a fortuitous windfall.
A quartet of appraisers was seated in the Preservation Barn at 10 a.m., and poised to share their expertise: Dave Kimball, rare art; Tami Zawistowski, rare books and ephemera; Mark Piece, generalist; and John Burda, jewelry and antique firearms. On a side table, a McDonald’s coffee box and two dozen Lost Acres Orchard’s cinnamon donuts helped mitigate the damp.
It was Sept. 18 and Salmon Brook Historical Society welcomed the community to its fourth annual Appraisal Fair. A modest fee of $5 per item encouraged participants to bring multiple valuables.In addition to items already mentioned, two violins, a Stetson hat in its original box and an ancestral portrait passed among the appraisers whose collaborative style ensured good value for fees spent.
All photos by Faith Tyldsley
Kara LaBella brought a variety of vintage jewelry, much of it her mother’s. Although none of her items appraised at high monetary value, she said, “I will always cherish them for their sentimental significance.” She appreciated that the appraiser was able to give her “timeframes for the items, letting me know what year they were made and their provenance, facts I was unsure of before. Attending was well worth my while and I will plan to come again next year.”
Dave Laun had a large framed art piece belonging to a friend who had worked for the International Silver Company in Meriden. The appraiser said that the art, as well as being an advertisement of sorts, was representative of Hotel Art—meaning artwork specially selected by hotels for neutral colors and simple themes so as to ensure a relaxed mood for guests. The appraiser’s final comment, “This is a good tag sale item.”
Marilyn Nystrom’s “dragon” was an event favorite. Its curvaceous tail and fearsome claws wowed onlookers who agreed that it looked like it was one half of a Foo Dog pair. However, the appraiser identified it as a Chinese incense burner. His estimate of what it might bring at auction spanned a range of $800 to $1,200. He subsequently visited Marilyn at home to see other items she had mentioned. He purchased the incense burner while there, and told Marilyn that “It was the best thing he had seen all day at the road show event.”
Karen and Mike Antonucci brought drinking glasses as well as a flowered bowl with matching plates. The goblet-type glasses had sea-green bowls atop clear glass stems decorated with bulbous nodes (referred to as knops). The six glasses were valued for $100. Their flowered bowl with matching plates appraised at $600. They plan to keep the decorative bowl but will visit Unique Antiques to see if the store will purchase the glasses and plates.
Darryl Griffing brought his grandfather’s pocket watch. He reported that the appraiser had valued it at $4,000. His two vintage violins were valued at $500 and $1,500.
Kristina Smith proudly shows her family heirloom: a Stetson hat in its original Knox of New York hatbox.
