HELENA — On Saturday, October 14 the Montana Antiques Appraisal Fair will be at the Holter Museum.
Folks have the opportunity to see how much your items are worth this Saturday, Oct 14, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appraisal tickets cost $25 per item and a maximum of two items per person are allowed. Event officials clarified that this means individual items and not sets. Spectators can browse for free.
Event organizers ask that folks not bring in any firearms, minerals, or chemicals for appraisal.
Appraiser Timothy Gordon has been traveling far and wide to appraise items since he was in his 20s, even going so far as to appraise Princess Diana’s gowns after her death in 1997. He will be working alongside Grant Zahajko during Saturday’s event to appraise antiques in the Queen City of the Rockies.
Gordon has some advice for those who want to bring in a piece for Saturday’s event.
“Don’t agonize over it, you know. If you've always been curious about it and you like it, just drag it in. We'll tell you all about it,” says Gordon.
Money collected is put towards The Foundation for Montana History’s grant program which helps to fund various projects such as the Unionville Schoolhouse, Helena’s Fire Tower, and Stonewall Hall in Virginia City.
Zach Coe, Community Outreach Manager for The Foundation for Montana History, says that this fair is a great way to take a look into the past through the items that were actually there.
“It's great to be able to engage with your own history. These are items you could have for years that you've always been curious about. And maybe in bringing those in and learning those stories, it'll make you want to learn more about the place you live, the things you interact with, and the stories that could be really embedded in your community, in your state, even your country,” says Coe.
