Do you have antiques in your attic you aren’t sure what to do
with? Do you need some extra cash for Christmas gifts? The Treasure
Hunters Roadshow is in Gilroy today and Thursday to buy antique and
vintage items from local residents.
By Leigh Lawson
Do you have antiques in your attic you aren’t sure what to do with? Do you need some extra cash for Christmas gifts? The Treasure Hunters Roadshow is in Gilroy today and Thursday to buy antique and vintage items from local residents.
At the free event at the Hilton Garden Inn, attendees have the opportunity to talk with antiques experts and find out what their collectibles are worth. Antique experts at the event are looking for items such as gold and paper currency before 1965, toys, knives and swords, vintage musical instruments, war memorabilia, precious metals and gold and silver jewelry.
The Treasure Hunters Roadshow tours the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom looking for collectibles. The show ran last week in Morgan Hill, with about 350 locals attending the event said Field Manager Colleen Rivera.
Antique dealers at the event sell to a consortium of 6,000 collectors who bid on the collectibles, said Rivera. Because Treasure Hunters Roadshow buys a large volume of collectibles at the shows, the company can afford a smaller profit margin than smaller antique shops can, she said. According to Rivera, this makes for competitive prices on collectibles. “We typically put $25,000 to $30,000 into the pockets of a community for each show,” said Rivera, who will be inspecting collectibles at this week’s event.
One item Rivera has been purchasing frequently in the last few weeks is sterling silver dinnerware, an item that can fetch $300 to $5,500 based on the condition of the set and the number of pieces. She says typically the older generations bring in flatware when their children don’t want it.
“The younger generation isn’t interested in ornate dinnerware. They don’t want to clean it.”
At the Treasure Hunters Roadshow in Fresno a few weeks ago, one couple received $2,200 for their 64-piece set, which they used to pay their mortgage that month and save their house. Rivera said she loves it when a sale helps someone fulfill their financial goals.
The show runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Details: www.treasurehuntersroadshow.com
