For $10 per item, appraisers will evaluate the antique value of whatever’s brought to Temple’s inaugural Antique and Collectible Showcase and Auction Sept. 8-9 at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center. All proceeds, minus expenses, will benefit the Temple Free Clinic.
“It will be just like the ‘Antiques Road Show,’” said Bill Hall of Bill Hall Auctioneer Inc. in Salado. “And it’s going to have class. Everything’s going to be decorated real nice. People will sit at banquet tables in air conditioning. It’s not going to be a hot, outdoor gig.”
Ron Germann, event coordinator for the Frank W. Mayborn Convention Center, said people won’t just have fun.
“You’ll learn something too,” Germann said. “These people know what they’re talking about.”
Hall said 17 certified appraisers and antique dealers from the Temple-Belton-Salado area will be on site to determine each item’s worth.
“All of them have specific areas of expertise,” Hall explained. “They have passion and knowledge in their areas. They’ll be able to tell you stories that link you with the past of your item.”
Hall pointed to Donna Gantenbein, owner of Salado Creek Antiques.
“Her passion is Depression glass and glassware,” Hall said.
Mrs. Gantenbein displayed a favorite crystal glass goblet.
“It’s pattern glass - 1860 morning glory,” Mrs. Gantenbein said.
The identifier indicated its manufacturer was Boston and Sandwich Co.
“And that makes it worth near $1,600,” Mrs. Gantenbein said.
Those are the details Mrs. Gantenbein knows. If she’s unsure of a detail, she said she would be able to refer to her lap top and source manuals.
“All the appraisers will have laptops to double-check facts,” Hall said. “Appraisers like to compare their opinions just to make sure they’re on the right track. That’s a supreme advantage of having so many appraisers in one place.”
All three - Hill, Germann and Mrs. Gantenbein - said they were exited about the event.
“It’s for a good cause, and it’s the first antique show and auction like this in the area,” Hall said.
Due to advertising in several antique publications and a four-month commercial run on the “Antique Road Show, Hall said the event has already drawn more than 100 people to participate, from both inside and outside Texas.
“We’ve got someone who claims to have a pewter dish that came over on the Mayflower,” Hall said. “Some china once owned by Napoleon and a Flintlock rifle that the owner says is stamped 1792.”
Items the appraisers approve from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 8 will be eligible for inclusion in a live auction set for 2-6 p.m. Sept. 9. The auction preview is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 9.
“You can get it appraised and take it home,” Hall said. “Or you can auction it off and pocket the money.”
Or, if so desired, Hall said owners can donate their item’s profit to the Temple Free Clinic.
Reservations for premium seating at the auction, available at (254) 298-5381, are $25 per person or $200 for a table of eight. This option purchases seating at a banquet table with a menu of wine, cheese and hors de oeuvres
General admission to the auction will be $10 per person. Children under 12 are free. Food vendors will be on site, selling snacks and drinks.
-- With questions or comments, email tlunsford@temple-telegram.com
