TMCnet News
Painting is not quite antiqueRALEIGH, Jul 05, 2009 (The Fayetteville Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Meet the ninny who brought a modern print to "Antiques Roadshow." Yeah, it's me. I should have known better. The program is called "Antiques Roadshow," not the "Made in the Last Two Decades Roadshow." Before I tell you what I brought, let me explain how I made this misstep. I was in tizzy about attending "Antiques Roadshow" when it stopped in Raleigh last weekend. As a member of the press, we got to bring an item to be appraised so we would have the full "Roadshow" experience. I tore through my parents' house in the Rayconda neighborhood, trying to find something -- anything -- that would meet a few criteria. First, it needed to be easy to carry so I could conduct interviews and hold the item at the same time. Second, it had be something that meant a lot to me and that I would enjoy learning more about. And finally, it had to be an object that could possibly be worth a little something. (Fingers crossed). So I chose a print that was given to my mother as a going-away present when our family moved from Alaska to North Carolina. The picture is of an Eskimo mother cuddling her infant daughter. This was one of only 500 that were made, so it seemed like the perfect choice. That was until I reached the "Prints and Posters" appraisal table at the "Roadshow." The appraiser -- Christopher Lane, co-owner of The Philadelphia Print Shop, which deals in antique prints and maps -- was very gracious about my blunder. "I'm not sure who's going to be able to help you with this," Lane said, holding my print in his hands. "It's a little modern for us." D'oh! I should have seen the tip-off that my print was not an antique: It had a number written in pencil on the bottom. "Old prints never were numbered, because, first of all, the equipment couldn't run off as many," Lane explained. "Secondly, there weren't as many people buying it, so it wasn't an issue." Sure, I knew that. I was just testing you, Mr. Lane. Wink. Wink. Staff writer Amneris Solano can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3521. To see more of The Fayetteville Observer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fayettevillenc.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Fayetteville Observer, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |