ONE'S HOME IS A CASTLE - BUT COULD THE TREASURES WITHIN BE WORTH CASH?Byline: Rachel Uranga Staff Writer Toting boxes full of old pictures, books wrapped in Ziploc bags, crystal figurines swathed in cloth and old wooden cabinets by the dozens, thousands of people lined up at the Los Angeles Convention Center The Los Angeles Convention Center (abbreviated LACC) is a convention center in downtown Los Angeles. The LACC hosts annual events such as the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, and was best known to video games fans as host to E3 until its cessation in 2006. on Saturday to see whether the cash value of their family heirlooms matched their sentimental value sentimental value Noun the value of an article to a particular person because of the emotions it arouses . In most cases, the answer from the appraisers for PBS' top-rated ``Antiques Roadshow'' was ``no.'' But for a handful of lucky ones like Katherine Wadden, the answer was more than even they could have imagined. ``Oh my gosh,'' Wadden blurted out after an appraiser A person selected or appointed by a competent authority or an interested party to evaluate the financial worth of property. Appraisers are frequently appointed in probate and condemnation proceedings and are also used by banks and real estate concerns to determine the market valued one piece in her mother's perfume collection at $40,000. ``What makes it so valuable?'' The piece - a Rene Lalique 1912 winged perfume bottle perfume bottle Vessel made to hold scent. The earliest example is Egyptian and dates to c. 1000 BC. The fashion for perfume later spread to Greece, where terra-cotta and glass containers were made in a variety of shapes such as animals and human heads. - was a rare find. So few were produced by the vaunted vaunt v. vaunt·ed, vaunt·ing, vaunts v.tr. To speak boastfully of; brag about. v.intr. To speak boastfully; brag. See Synonyms at boast1. n. 1. Parisian glass designer that longtime New York-based appraiser Nick Dawes said Wadden's piece was only the third one he'd seen in his lifetime. One that he had previously seen sold at auction for $60,000. Such moments, captured in three-minute segments, have given the Roadshow a unique and loyal following, luring some to the Convention Center on Saturday from as far away as Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. . The show's producer doled out Adj. 1. doled out - given out in portions apportioned, dealt out, meted out, parceled out distributed - spread out or scattered about or divided up 3,500 pairs of tickets for the event but said more than 17,000 ticket requests were received for the Los Angeles stop - more than any other city. ``I had been waiting 20 years to get this appraised,'' said Simi Valley resident Kenny Moore as he held a framed sketch of an animated Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy, American film comedy team. The duo consisted of Stan Laurel, 1890–1965, b. Ulverson, England, whose real name was Arthur Stanley Jefferson; and Oliver Hardy, 1892–1957, b. Atlanta, Ga. . He had been told that Walt Disney - a fan of the comedy duo - drew the piece especially for Stan Laurel, who passed it on to Moore's aunt, who was a maid for Laurel. But it turned out the piece was actually by an in-house Disney artist and didn't have Walt's signature - just the corporate logo. The appraiser said it was probably made for one of the 1930s animated movies about then-famous comedic acts. Value? Maybe $1,500 - much lower than what Moore figured he would get for such an original. Most participants asked experts to appraise appraise v. to professionally evaluate the value of property including real estate, jewelry, antique furniture, securities, or in certain cases the loss of value (or cost of replacement) due to damage. pieces that had been in their families for generations, were gifts from their parents or were just interesting finds. While several yearned to be ``picked'' for the show's blue-carpet, televised feature, many merely walked away with a little bit more information and having made one or two friends in line. In all, more than 12,000 pieces - from a 1920s English-plated tea set ($100) to an early 19th-century, 19-piece petit point handbag collection ($1,500) - were appraised Saturday. But that may be the odd thing: For many, even after the value is established, it will do little to change the participants' esteem for their objects. That $7,000 Paul Revere Revere, city (1990 pop. 42,786), Suffolk co., E Mass., a residential suburb of Boston, on Massachusetts Bay; settled c.1630, set off from Chelsea and named for Paul Revere 1871, inc. as a city 1914. spoon will still be kept in velvet and that signed Andy Warhol print ($600-$800) will remain in the powder room. PBS' own surveys have found that few who get their items appraised will actually turn around and sell them. What many really come for is affirmation of its value, its history or merely because they are fans of the show. ``We appeal to that lottery mentality,'' said Marsha Bemko, the show's executive producer. ``But for the most part people are just really curious about something they own. They may have some idea (about it) but they are missing some information.'' Rachel Uranga, (818) 713-3741 rachel.uranga(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1) Thousands lined up at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Saturday with their treasures for ``Antiques Roadshow.'' (2) Lee Frelich holds a puppet from her childhood as she waits to get it appraised. (3) Many unusual pieces, such as this lamp from the 1920s or 1930s, found their way to ``Antiques Roadshow'' on its L.A. stop. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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