Treasure Hunters coming to county Posted: Friday, May 22, 2009 9:30 pm
Modern-day treasure hunters are coming to Obion County and they’re looking to purchase items residents are willing to part with.
The Treasure Hunters Roadshow is on an 18-month national treasure hunt and will be in Troy at the Moffatt Centré Tuesday through May 29 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and May 30 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. With the company authorized to spent several hundred thousands of dollars here, it could be the perfect time for Obion Countians to make some extra cash during these hard economic times.
During this free event, residents will have the opportunity to talk to world-renowned antique and collectible experts. The treasure hunters are hoping to see items such as coins and paper currency issued prior to 1965, toys made before 1965, dolls, trains, vintage jewelry, old and modern musical instruments, war memorabilia, gold and silver jewelry, costume jewelry, advertising memorabilia, swords, knives and daggers.
Items of great interest also include pottery marked Roseville, Hull, Rookwood, etc. and Hummels, Lladros, Tiffany, art glass, clocks, autographs, Civil War items, Hot wheels, World’s fair items and anything unusual.
“Nearly all coins, vintage jewelry, musical instruments and toys made prior to 1965 are highly sought after by collectors,” Treasure Hunters Roadshow officials said. Recent finds include a Civil War cache in an attic, over $1.2 million worth of silver bars buried on an Illinois farm, Confederate money hidden in the walls of a residence uncovered during a remodel and an Abraham Lincoln hand-written thank you letter expressing gratitude for a night’s stay while traveling to Chicago.
“Collectors are very serious about their hobby; so serious that they will pay a lot of money for the items they are looking for,” Roadshow officials said. The Treasure Hunters Roadshow is a place where anyone in the local community can connect with collectors from around the globe.
“Our treasure hunters make offers based on what our collectors are willing to pay. Then when someone decides to sell, they get paid on the spot and our treasure hunters send the item to the collector at their expense.”
Gold will also be purchased during this event. “Gold and diamonds are probably the categories for people to make the most money,” said Jeff Parsons. “Gold is currently trading at an all-time high. People are amazed at what we will pay them for a few broken chains and mismatched earrings. The diamond market is red-hot right now. It’s a seller’s market.
“Another exciting category is pocket watches,” he said. “You would be surprised at how many pocket watches we see at any given show. Many times, we will purchase over 1,000 watches at a single Roadshow. Some of the manufacturer names we see most often are Illinois, Elgin, Hampden, South Bend and Hamilton. However, all names are wanted. Wristwatches are also sought after.”
“It’s a great time to pull out those old coins, silver prices are higher now than they have been for over 25 years,” said Archie Davis, a Roadshow representative and collector.
There are two considerations when valuing coins. One is the value of the metal, whether it is gold or silver, the second is the numismatic or collecting value. Most coins are worth more as silver or gold, but rare coins can have great value to collectors, even in poor condition. “I encourage anybody with coins, whether a couple or a vault full to visit the Roadshow. Our collectors are serious and will pay top dollar for all types of coins.”
How it works
Members of the Roadshow team will talk to every guest about the items they have and help them determine their value. If the items are among the things the network of collectors and buyers are looking for, Roadshow officials will make an offer on the buyer’s behalf on the spot. Offers are made based upon current market values.
“We use a number of resources including our exclusive network of individual collectors and Internet sources that we will readily share with guests. Offers made to guests are intended to be fair for all concerned and we welcome feedback from owners as to what they feel the value should be. We want to buy guests items at fair and honest prices.”
Once offer are accepted by guests, they are paid on the spot. The process only takes a few minutes and the sellers gets 100 percent of the offers with no other commissions or fees. Guests will be paid with a check at the show if they decide to sell their items.
If the items are not among the items being requested by the Treasure Hunters’ buyers, the experts can assess a value and suggest how the guests might market them most effectively. The team can also offer tips on how to maximize value when selling such items at a garage sale.
What Roadshow guests
need to know
• Do not clean the antique or collectible. You could do serious damage to any finishes or the item itself.
• Expect to wait up to 45 minutes, depending on the crowd. Bring a book and also enjoy watching other Roadshow appraisals at the event.
• Bring along all broken gold jewelry. Gold prices are higher than ever right now.
• Any gold, silver and platinum coins are extremely sought after by collectors.
• All silver dollars, halves, quarters and dimes made before 1965 are surprisingly valuable today. Paper currency like silver certificates, $2 bills, etc. are also wanted.
• All silver items, including silver coins, bars and American Eagles are accepted. Sterling silver items like flatware, tea sets, etc. are welcome. Note: Items must be marked sterling.
The Roadshow
The Roadshow has been touring since 1998 and has visited over 1,500 cities throughout the United States and Canada. There is no limit to the number of items residents can bring. Admission is free and no appointment is needed.
Published in The Messenger 5.22.09 |
