1905Gerrish
Loves Old Maine canoes
Just wanted to share my experience with everyone this past Saturday when my father and I attended the Antiques Roadshow in Boston. I ended up winning a pair of tickets through a lottery system and being one of the 5500 people in attendance. I brought a c1916 5 ft Kennebec salesman sample and my father brought a 1920-1930 5 peice Winchester advertising display. First waited in a hour long line to get another ticket to disperse the attendies with their items to quote "expert appraisers". Before we got tickets to see the experts we had to have our items visable so they could be viewed buy the roadshow crew. The canoe that I had was wrapped in a sleeping bag and the display which my father had totaled about 6 feet and had to be taken out on the floor because there was no tables for the 5500 people to set items on. I was given a ticket to see the "expert" in Toys and minatures by the name of Noel Barrett who I noticed right away being on the show. There was only one other person in front of me in line unlike the 200 that were in front of my father in the collectables line. Now to give a little description of what I am seeing is there are three appraisers to one 6ft folding table, each having a table lamp and an Ipad in a fabricated circular room that is about 75ft around with probable 300 people in it, lights everywheres and filming a painting 20 ft away from me. Noel asked to see the canoe which I handed to him. He asked what I paid for it and where I got it. I gave him the info and told him about how I had to restore it because of the poor condition that I got it in and some history behind it. He listened and commented on the beautiful resoration job done on it , ( thanks Roger). The info he gave me on the value was that he has seen these go for between 5 and 10K and mine not being worth much more then what I paid for it which was around the 5K mark. I asked him about other makes of canoes and their value but he could not tell me any makes of canoes! The appraisel lasted a total of 1 minute, not looking anything up on his Ipad in front of him with not one other person in line in back of me. I walked out of the room feeling very dissappointed with the lack of service and info! I walked back to see my father in line and he said " Thats it". He could tell I was dissappointed and he was frustrated because of it. I was not dissappointed because of the value but the lack of service, knowledge, whatever. I value the canoe on the 10K plus side. By the way I had to put the canoe back in the sleeping bag on the floor because there was not tables for the 5500 customers there.
My father got more of the same. The hour in line to talk to an appraiser to first say " They sould have put you in the guns section because I have no idea about this but no one is here today besides military specialists". Now we first had to clear out a few attendies so we could display the display on th floor in front of us but we could only get three of the peices upright so she could see it because of the no room issue. She did the best she could and looked up a Wincheser poster that she compared it to. To us a single poster is not even close to what he had so the whole conversation was pointless. She at least spent a few minutes with him to try to help. We walked out and had to put everything together and back in the box again on the floor with everyone walking around. We heard in conversation that nothing could be recorded by video, verbally or signed for insurance purposes. There was a table with the appraisers business cards on the way out for the attendees to purchase appraisels for insurance purposes.
My father and I walked out of the place feeling like we would have been better off to stay home and cut the lawn for the day. We were both extremely dissappointed in the entire event. We both realize that everyone is not going to know everything about everything but not knowing nothing by professionals was sad to see. Everyone has their own opionion but this was our prospective and it was not pleasent for us!
Zack and Bob Smith
My father got more of the same. The hour in line to talk to an appraiser to first say " They sould have put you in the guns section because I have no idea about this but no one is here today besides military specialists". Now we first had to clear out a few attendies so we could display the display on th floor in front of us but we could only get three of the peices upright so she could see it because of the no room issue. She did the best she could and looked up a Wincheser poster that she compared it to. To us a single poster is not even close to what he had so the whole conversation was pointless. She at least spent a few minutes with him to try to help. We walked out and had to put everything together and back in the box again on the floor with everyone walking around. We heard in conversation that nothing could be recorded by video, verbally or signed for insurance purposes. There was a table with the appraisers business cards on the way out for the attendees to purchase appraisels for insurance purposes.
My father and I walked out of the place feeling like we would have been better off to stay home and cut the lawn for the day. We were both extremely dissappointed in the entire event. We both realize that everyone is not going to know everything about everything but not knowing nothing by professionals was sad to see. Everyone has their own opionion but this was our prospective and it was not pleasent for us!
Zack and Bob Smith
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