‘Antiques Roadshow’ brings rags, riches to Old Sturbridge Village
STURBRIDGE — “Antiques Roadshow” is basically show and tell. But instead of a class of second graders, it’s 3,200 people from around the country. Standing in for a teacher, there are 66 expert appraisers across 23 categories. And rather than on a classroom carpet, the event takes place at an outdoor historical attraction.
Every year, the beloved PBS series produced at GBH goes on a national tour to search for America’s hidden treasures. Last Tuesday, to film the show’s 28th season, organizers brought the production to Old Sturbridge Village. With it came a whole lot of stuff. Autographed stuff, sparkly stuff, expensive stuff, and just plain strange stuff.
“I know just as well as anyone what’s gonna show up,” said Marsha Bemko, executive producer of the show. “It’s always a surprise. That’s the fun part.”
Guests begin lining up at 7:30 a.m. to enter the venue. Each of them with at most two items in tow as per event rules (exceptions are made for object collections, like tea sets). Some carry objects in their hands or in shoulder bags, others get more creative, with shopping carts, red wagons, suitcases, trolleys, and in one case, a converted wheelchair.
Most of the crowd has white hair, or none at all, but there are a number of younger guests and kids along for the ride. As they wait in line, they ask about each other’s items, comment on the weather, and crack jokes, often some variation of: “I’m the most antique thing out here!”
“People come who have known about us since the start, who watched as a kid with their parents,” said Demee Gambulos, director of brand marketing and audience development for the show. “Now those people bring their own kids.”
Once inside the village, a re-created 19th-century New England settlement with 40 historical buildings on over 200 acres, guests walk to what’s called the triage area. Here, they unpack their goodies in front of an appraiser who determines which category they belong to.
A Victorian quilt is sent to “rugs & textiles,” a set of bongo drums to “musical instruments,” and a piece of the hull from the Hindenburg airship to “collectibles.”
Each category has a designated table manned by two or three appraisers.
At “jewelry,” veteran appraiser Kevin Zavian squints through his monocle at an 18-karat gold-and-enamel necklace. He turns it over in his hands, places it on the scale, and touches it to his teeth to test its malleability, all the while making small talk with its owner. Before he gives any estimates or mentions any diamond shapes, he always asks guests what an object’s story is.
After an examination, Zavian tells guests where their pieces are from, how old they are, and even how to clean them. And he’ll compliment their taste.
“You couldn’t have chosen a better chain,” he says. Or, “That’s an evening watch. It’s very sexy.”
By 10:45 a.m., he has appraised nearly 100 objects, from dollar watches to rare Van Cleef & Arpels charms. In the case of the former, he has learned to let guests down easily.
“My go-to line is, ‘It’s under $100,’” he said. “There’s never been an issue. These people are crazy good-natured.”
When appraisers come across a particularly rare or unusual object or hear a compelling story, they will search for a producer (or “picker”) to pitch the item for broadcast. Around 6,500 items were brought to Sturbridge. Producers typically choose 150 to shoot. Of that number, 90 will likely appear in episodes on TV.
Sturbridge selections included a Winfred Rembert carved leather canvas, a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth, a restituted silver item from Nazi Germany, and a 14-foot orange tarp from “The Gates,” the 2005 Christo and Jeanne-Claude installation in New York’s Central Park.
The tarp was pitched by “toys & games” expert Travis Landry. He said working as an appraiser with “Antiques Roadshow” is like playing detective.
“It’s impossible to know everything under the sun,” Landry said. “The key is being able to recognize something as valuable and then investigate it further with my colleagues.”
Once a picker selects an item, the appraiser is no longer allowed to communicate with the item’s owner. If they do, they’ll be labeled a “leaky faucet.” This rule ensures that guests’ genuine reactions can be captured on camera when the value or historical significance of their object is revealed.
“During filming I’ve seen people who have fallen to their knees. I’ve seen people jump out of their clothes, they’re so excited,” Bemko said.
When the Rembert canvas appraisal was filmed, both the expert and the owner cried. Bought for $1,200 years ago, the artwork is now estimated between $100,000-$125,000. But money aside, it was the story of Rembert’s painful inspirations growing up in the Jim Crow South that brought the tears.
According to the producers, learning about the past is what the show is all about. Only 1 percent of guests actually go on to sell their objects.
“The sentimental value is sometimes worth more than the price,” Gambulos said.