Antique Roadshow Coming to Cary
Cary, NC – If you have old pieces of art and furniture from grandparents or older generations, somewhere in the back of your mind you may have wondered “How much is this worth nowadays?” You could finally get an answer for that as appraisal expert Ken Farmer comes to Cary to examine antiques.
Keen Eye
Ken Farmer, antiques expert from Farmer Auctions and a fixture on PBS’ long-running “Antiques Roadshow,” will be at the Page-Walker Center on Saturday, November 5, 2016 with his team of experts to assess and examine items residents bring in.
Farmer said when he goes to North Carolina or other Southern states, the antiques people bring with them are largely the same: furniture, folk art, paintings, etc.
“It’s not a lot different than what you’d see anywhere else,” Farmer said.
But these same items will have a design that reflects the South more often and Farmer said he has found North Carolina objects all over the country.
“I saw a watercolor that was marked from Guilford County in 1842,” Farmer said. “And that turned up in Texas.”
Of the items people bring to appraisals, Farmer said some often turn up more than others.
“Every town you go to, there’s always a long line of paintings,” he said.
Cary residents will be able to buy tickets to see Farmer and get their antiques appraised, with a limit of three items per person, with all the proceeds going to the preservation of the Page-Walker Center. Farmer will also be doing home visits, which people can set up by contacting him through his website.
History of Antiques
Farmer has worked in antique appraisals and auctions for close to 40 years now. Over the years, Farmer said he has noticed a changing trend in what antiques people want to buy, mainly because of demographics.
“There’s a huge shift in demand. Things made in the 1970s and 80s, especially paintings, are going upward in value,” he said.
By contrast, older objects that were once valuable have lost their appeal, according to Farmer.
“Things from the colonial period are going down in value for younger people,” he said. “There are still some that go for a lot but they are in the top 1 percent.”
As part of his visit to Cary, on Friday, November 4, 2016, Farmer will be sharing stories about his experiences in traveling and doing the Antiques Roadshow and telling stories.
“It’s going to explain how the show works and what the mechanics of it are,” he said. “And I’ll be talking about interesting objects I’ve seen over the years.”
The event will also have a reception for wine, cheese and dessert.
Story by Michael Papich. Photos by French Finds and Eden.
