GETTING THE BEST PRICE APPRAISAL SET FOR SATURDAY.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Thousands of Antelope Valley residents are expected to show up Saturday to find out the value of old clocks, dolls, quilts, candlestick holders, jewelry and other items - some family heirlooms, some just gathering dust.

Like television series such as PBS' ``Antiques Roadshow,'' antique appraisal events have proved popular in the Antelope Valley. One last year in Lancaster drew 1,000 people.

``People call me all the time: they're just curious about what they have and many times it's a family piece and they have no idea of the value,'' said Claudia Miller, an appraiser in the Antelope Valley for 12 years. ``This way they'll have an opportunity to meet with the experts at one time. I just think it's a necessary thing. That way, history's preserved. If they know what they have, they will treat it accordingly and keep it in the family. And that's important to me.''

Sponsored by Palmdale's parks and recreation department and Claudia Miller Estate Sale Services, Antique Discovery Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hammack Activity Center, 815 E. Ave. Q-6.

Some 3,000 to 5,000 people are expected to pass Saturday through the Hammack center, avoiding the price of private appraisals that can cost up to $200 per hour.

Everyone in line at 10 a.m. will receive a ticket and will be guaranteed a visit with an appraiser. Anyone who comes after that time will receive another colored ticket but will not be guaranteed an appraisal.

The length of time each person spends with an appraiser will depend on the item brought in to be appraised.

``You can spend a minute with somebody or some things you spend 20 minutes,'' said Bruce Herman, an appraiser of military antiques and antique firearms who has appeared several times on the ``Antiques Roadshow.'' ``It just depends on the item and how interesting it is and how much information is needed to be given on it.''

A true antique is an item that is 100 years old or older, Herman said. Anything less than that is considered a collectible.

But age alone doesn't determine the value: A rare early Barbie doll can bring upward of $15,000, which can be more than a very fine early English wax doll from 1840, said Stuart Holbrook, an appraiser of dolls, toys and teddy bears for Theriault's of Maryland.

The value of most items is determined by collectors' interest, Miller said.

``They actually control the market in a lot of ways,'' said Miller. ``And many times, too, authors will publish something on a particular subject, and that will create an interest that maybe hadn't existed.''

``You can have 1960s toys that are worth far more than something from the mid 19th century, and that's the same way in military antiques,'' Herman said. ``You can have something from World War II that's far more valuable than something from the 1700s. So its age doesn't necessarily play into it. It's kind of a good benchmark, but it just depends on the scarcity. It's the collectors' market, how many collectors there are in a particular field of things that denotes the value, not so much the age.''

At any appraisal clinic, there can be pleasant surprises but also disappointments. Herman said he has argued with more than one person on the lack of value of an item.

``There are people that are gravely disappointed,'' said Herman. ``They'll have something that they'll think is a special wonderful piece. And when they find out it is a reproduction or a fake or damaged or altered in some way they can be disappointed. But most people are pleasantly surprised as a general rule.''

One thing that all three appraisers agreed on is that owners of potentially valuable antiques should not clean them. They recommend leaving the cleaning to professionals.

``I can't stress this enough: Don't clean anything,'' said Herman. ``A lot of people think when they're going to an appraisal they want to make it look real nice and shiny and bright. You can destroy the value of something terribly without repair.''

He recounted the story of a customer at one of his appraisal clinics who brought in a sword potentially worth about $15,000. Unfortunately the night before the appraisal the man polished the sword on a buffing wheel and took off the original patina, reducing the value to about $4,000.

``It's all about dust,'' said Holbrook.

They also recommend that residents bring in any item they might have a question about.

``Bring anything. Because what looks mundane or silly or not very valuable to an untrained eye can be an extremely valuable piece,'' said Herman. ``So if it's military, if it's something that was your grandfather's, your father's, or something that's been passed down through the family, bring it. You can be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes a silly little uniform patch that looks like nothing more than a patch to some people can be worth, to a collector, upwards of $1,000.''

In addition to Holbrook and Herman, appraisers scheduled to attend are: Barbara Shultz, aviation; Steve Martin, gemology; Lee Lesner, antique and costume jewelry; Val Arbab, oriental rugs and textiles; Anne Copeland, quilts, lace and textiles; John Moran Auctioneers, watches and general antiques; Howard Banta, clocks; William Novotny, American Indian and general antiques; Barbara Fields, glass and porcelain; Jan Cobert, fine art and Asian antiques; and Stacey Roman, fine art.

For more information, call the parks and recreation department at [phone].

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) This tin windup toy, Uncle Wiggly's Crazy Car, made by Distler, is valued at $3,000-$4,000.

(2) Appraisers Stuart Holbrook, Bruce V. Herman and Claudia Miller hold some valuable antiques, including, left, a French bisque doll ($8,000-$10,000), a model 1889 Prussian garde du korp parade helmet ($6,000) and the 1875 Uncle Wiggly toy windup car.

(3) This model 1860 U.S. Cavalry saber is worth about $450.

(4) This German bisque Googly doll is estimated to be worth $5,000-$7,000.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer