What intrigues you the most about history? For me it is the ingenuity that our ancestors brought to their daily lives – everything from the evolution of the printing press to typewriter to computer to ipad and all the things in between. It is our tie with items from the past that make our history rich and gives us sometimes good and sometimes sad memories.
On April 12, 2014, beginning at 11 a.m. the Merrill Historical Society will be sponsoring a fund raiser with author and antiques expert Mark Moran of Iola, WI, who will be available to help you learn about and appraise your collectibles. Mr. Moran is a former senior editor of Antiques and Collectibles Books for Krause Publications and has been a contributing editor for Antique Trader magazine. He has also been a guest expert on the PBS series Antiques Roadshow.
This is the fourth appearance for Mr. Moran at the Historical Society. If you attended last year, you will recall that he is a very charismatic and entertaining speaker. People came away with knowledge of their objects; even in the instances where they were not valuable, they were appreciated by Mr. Moran. Mr. Moran has bought and sold antiques for more than 30 years, specializing in vintage fold art, Americana, and fine art. Categories of objects for appraisal may include: Fine art (paintings, drawings, statuary, etc.); furniture (smaller pieces are best); ceramics, glassware (lighting, marbles, souvenir items); vintage photographs; advertising; folk art (carvings, quilts, weathervanes, etc.); metalware; clocks; costume jewelry.
Excluded items: All weapons (including swords and knives); coins and paper money; fine jewelry (precious gems, pocket and wristwatches); musical instruments. Questions about an object can be submitted to Mr. Moran in advance to determine if they are appropriate. Mr. Moran can be contacted at 715-281-5060 or email [email protected].
Cost per item will be $15 and pre-registration is necessary. The appraisals will be approximately 3-4 minutes. Mr. Moran is also available for a home visit on that day if you have a large quantity of items, contact the Merrill Historical Society for details and cost. Anyone wishing to watch and listen to the appraisals is welcome in the audience at no cost. Please call the Merrill Historical Society to register at 715-536-5652. At this time we are limited to approximately 40 items, so we ask that you only register for a maximum of two. He will accept a group as one item if appropriate (i.e. at silver tea service).