My Aunt Ida was wealthy, and she and my Uncle Harry were always spoken of with great deference around my house. They were very nice people, and would come over to visit every now and then.
I saw my first TV show at their house, and they always had a full time cook/cleaner at their house, a “live in”. This was quite a fancy thing in those days. They always had a black Cadillac and were the only ones I knew with special numbered license plates that you could only get if you “knew someone”.
Uncle Harry passed away many years before my Aunt. My parents are buried in my Uncle and Aunt’s family plot. We were close. My father worked for my Uncle for many years in his later life.
My Aunt lived in a large house across from the Country Club in Baltimore County. She then sold the house and moved to a large, luxury apartment tower, newly built in our city. She stayed there for some time, and even employed a companion, so she had live in help who drove.
My Aunt decided to move to Florida, and even invited my mother to go along with her, this happening after my father had passed away.
My mother, a very smart woman, decided that going with my Aunt would put her in the companion role and wisely stayed away, but did visit my Aunt every now and then.
Everything my Aunt owned was considered precious by my parents, and much better than our “stuff”. I assumed my parents were correct as I was no expert in furniture or antiques at the time.
One Sunday, several years ago, we had reservations for the Antiques Roadshow for 9 a.m. They were seeing two groups, one at 9 and one at 1 p.m. It was one great event!
We were in lines from 8:20 a.m. until 11 a.m. and had a great time. My wife and I were allowed to bring in two items each, and we were never chosen to appear on TV, which meant we had no items great values or no great fakes.
We had so many things to choose from, but since we know the relative value of most of our stuff, we searched for things we weren’t sure of.
We had a 18th century traveling case (an old wooden box) which we believed to be just that, but wanted to prove it, and it could hold (making it all easy to carry) the chocolate set, the cut glass bowl and a pair of small pitchers, which were gifts to my mother from my Aunt Ida.
I was singled out in the line and an appraiser came over to look at the box, and admired it and gave me an appraisal (about $300) but it went no further. I had a momentary heart flutter when he came over hoping it was to be a surprise treasure. He was hoping it was an 18 century Canadian chest, but it was an 18th century English piece instead.
The bowl from my wife’s great grandmother’s boarding house/restaurant was interesting, and had a $350 price while the chocolate set was probably Czech and worth about $450, also a family item.
The pitchers were from my Aunt Ida (of course my late mother had thought they must be worth their weight in gold). The first china/glassware appraiser took them to another appraiser, who refused at first to touch them, they so revolted his sensibilities!
It was like a strange British comedy, he withdrew his hand as the first appraiser tried to hand them over, for fear of becoming contaminated with these objects!
They were 1920’s French fakes of bad Italian pottery and were worth about $75 for the pair.
I saw my first TV show at their house, and they always had a full time cook/cleaner at their house, a “live in”. This was quite a fancy thing in those days. They always had a black Cadillac and were the only ones I knew with special numbered license plates that you could only get if you “knew someone”.
Uncle Harry passed away many years before my Aunt. My parents are buried in my Uncle and Aunt’s family plot. We were close. My father worked for my Uncle for many years in his later life.
My Aunt lived in a large house across from the Country Club in Baltimore County. She then sold the house and moved to a large, luxury apartment tower, newly built in our city. She stayed there for some time, and even employed a companion, so she had live in help who drove.
My Aunt decided to move to Florida, and even invited my mother to go along with her, this happening after my father had passed away.
My mother, a very smart woman, decided that going with my Aunt would put her in the companion role and wisely stayed away, but did visit my Aunt every now and then.
Everything my Aunt owned was considered precious by my parents, and much better than our “stuff”. I assumed my parents were correct as I was no expert in furniture or antiques at the time.
One Sunday, several years ago, we had reservations for the Antiques Roadshow for 9 a.m. They were seeing two groups, one at 9 and one at 1 p.m. It was one great event!
We were in lines from 8:20 a.m. until 11 a.m. and had a great time. My wife and I were allowed to bring in two items each, and we were never chosen to appear on TV, which meant we had no items great values or no great fakes.
We had so many things to choose from, but since we know the relative value of most of our stuff, we searched for things we weren’t sure of.
We had a 18th century traveling case (an old wooden box) which we believed to be just that, but wanted to prove it, and it could hold (making it all easy to carry) the chocolate set, the cut glass bowl and a pair of small pitchers, which were gifts to my mother from my Aunt Ida.
I was singled out in the line and an appraiser came over to look at the box, and admired it and gave me an appraisal (about $300) but it went no further. I had a momentary heart flutter when he came over hoping it was to be a surprise treasure. He was hoping it was an 18 century Canadian chest, but it was an 18th century English piece instead.
The bowl from my wife’s great grandmother’s boarding house/restaurant was interesting, and had a $350 price while the chocolate set was probably Czech and worth about $450, also a family item.
The pitchers were from my Aunt Ida (of course my late mother had thought they must be worth their weight in gold). The first china/glassware appraiser took them to another appraiser, who refused at first to touch them, they so revolted his sensibilities!
It was like a strange British comedy, he withdrew his hand as the first appraiser tried to hand them over, for fear of becoming contaminated with these objects!
They were 1920’s French fakes of bad Italian pottery and were worth about $75 for the pair.
I do remember seeing you and Sandy there that sunny Sunday a few years back. I was so busy running around I never did get to see what you had in your wagon. Now I know...thanks for the update
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