By Courtney L. Anderson
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP — Is grandma’s class ring taking up room in your jewelry box? Have an old guitar collecting dust? Does the idea of figuring out what to do with the box of ancient toys in your basement make your head ache?
Folks looking to unload some “treasures” in their attic and maybe make a few bucks might be able to do just that next week when an Illinois company comes to Springfield Township.
Treasure Hunters Roadshow will be at Microtel Inn and Suites Tuesday through Saturday to price items and in some cases connect the seller with one of 7,000 collectors in their database, said Matthew Enright, the roadshow’s director of operations. The company works with the International Collectors Association, he said.
While the potential seller is at the show, Enright says they can contact collectors who might be willing to buy and people can walk away with money.
Enright said that people often think the company would “lowball” people for their items, but because Treasure Hunters Roadshow gets a percentage of each sale it’s in their best interest to help sellers get the best price.
Six experts will be on hand to check out items and folks waiting in line have a good time chatting with other members of the community, Enright said.
“They’ll see a lot of rare items they’ve probably never seen or will again. Behind all those items is a story,” Enright said.
Hot collectors items right now include musical instruments, vintage toys and war memorabilia, Enright said, adding that “there’s a market for everything.”
Mercer antiques dealer Ron Tamber, who has 40 years’ experience in the business, said he’s skeptical of such outfits.
“My best advice is don’t sell to anyone that appraises your merchandise,” Tamber said, adding that buying and selling locally is safer.
Tamber said television shows like PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow” — which is not in any way affiliated with Treasure Hunters Roadshow — are misleading.
“Just because something is old doesn’t make it valuable,” Tamber said. “Don’t get your hopes up.”
The owner of Country Connection Antiques, Tamber said he examined items at the Relay for Life last year and maybe 3 out of 100 items had any antique value.
“People have tons of stuff sitting in their house,” Enright said, noting that the folks who don’t think they have anything especially valuable on their hands are often the ones who do.
There’s no pressure to sell things, Enright said. People can just come in and get a value for their items. He said the traffic in metals and coins has picked up since the economy tanked, but the trade for antiques and collectibles is about the same.
The market has a high demand for gold and silver right now so people are “being smart and cashing in on that,” Enright said.
The company works directly with metals refineries and can pay 30 to 40 percent better than jewelry and pawn shops, he said.
Rare coins are highly sought-after by collectors.
He said he once dealt with a man who pulled a 1895 Morgan silver dollar out of his pocket, where he’d been carrying it around as a keepsake, and flicked it on the table. He left with $1,200.
Enright said they get some “very, very cool” things come through the doors and some that aren’t valuable.
“We see a lot of unique items,” Enright said.
A man in South Dakota brought in a certified, mint condition vintage Gibson guitar that had been appraised as worth $60,000, Enright said. A collector in California contacted by roadshow personnel flew in and paid $100,000 for it, Enright said.
Treasure Hunters Roadshow had trouble with checks bouncing in the past, but Enright said they were “isolated incidents” and the problem has been fixed.
He said 80 out of 4,000 checks didn’t clear during a couple weeks last year because the bank froze a large deposit in their account.
“We regret that it happened, but we have to move on,” Enright said, noting that people were paid and reimbursed for any fees incurred and given extra money for the “hassle.”
The Treasure Hunters Roadshow will be in business from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 18 at Microtel Inn and Suites, 2049 Leesburg-Grove City Road, Springfield Township.
