by Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
On Saturday, the Hibben Center lobby resembled an episode of PBS's "Antiques Roadshow."
Local antique dealers sat behind tables and appraised items brought to them.
Appraisers charged $5 per item. The money went to the Maxwell Museum Association, which organized the event. The association is a group of volunteers who help the museum.
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Alan Shalette, a member of the association, said the event was held to help raise money for exhibits at the museum.
One such exhibit, "I can see by your outfit," was organized and funded by the association, he said. It was also the first exhibit at the museum with a curator who is not from the University, he said.
The exhibit has clothing from American-Indian tribes.
Shalette said some of the pieces in the exhibit were borrowed from people who brought them to the last appraisal day.
Eric Phillips, one of the appraisers, said several interesting American-Indian items were brought to the event.
"We had some really nice black pots come through," Phillips said.
One item was a large Navajo rug that was appraised at $15,000 - after a lot of cleaning and repair, he said.
The rug was from the early 20th century, he said. It was in fairly good shape, but had lots of moth larvae that would destroy the rug if steps were not taken immediately, he said.
Phillips and other appraisers estimated it would cost about $600 to repair and clean the rug because it would have to be taken to a professional cleaner.
The woman with the rug declined to comment. She did not want people to know she had something so valuable in her house, she said.
Shalette said the event was not just meant just to raise money but also to make the community more aware of the museum and the association, he said.
Bruce Huckell, director of the museum, said he appreciates the work of the association.
"They can provide us with support for a lot of our activities," he said. "It provides another point of contact between the University and the community."
Huckell brought a black pot. The appraisers said the pot was worth about $100 but would have been worth more if it were in better condition.
Richard Carruthers brought in a framed piece of art. The appraisers determined it was a print - not a painting. The frame is probably worth more than the print, Phillips said.
Other items included a plate worth about $2,800 and several black pots.
In addition to telling people how much items were worth, the appraisers offered advice for maintaining them.
The most common advice was to use a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol to clean and polish the black pots.
"The value of these kinds of pots really depends on the condition they're in," Phillips said.
He said a lot of people use them as flowerpots, which damages them.
Terry Schurmeier, one of the appraisers, also told someone how to clean a woven basket using foam carpet cleaner and a toothbrush.
The event made $160 for the museum association.
