Date: Fri 25-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

iinfo-Antiques-Roadshow

Full Text:

INTERNET INFO FOR REAL PEOPLE: Antiques Roadshow

By Bob Brand

It is no secret PBS offers TV viewers quality fare. It should come as no

surprise to public broadcast regulars that "The Antiques Roadshow" ranks is

one of the most watched series. As part of the stable of quality programming

from "Sesame Street," "Mr Rogers' Neighborhood," "The NewsHour with Jim

Lehrer" and "Nova," to "Frontline," "Roadshow," about to start its third

season in January 1999, has acquired a loyal following. It has an

international audience.

Mini-Dramas Unfold

For those folks who do not watch television, here is a bit of background.

Chris Jussel, an antiques expert, travels around the country with a group of

appraisers and dealers from the leading auction houses like Christie's and

Sotheby's. They set up shop in large convention centers and invite the public

to bring in antiques and collectibles for review.

The highlights of the interviews between the owners and the appraisers are

televised in hour long segments. We watch as neighbors and friends tell a

story of an old toy or possible Civil War relic given to them by an old aunt

or grandparent. Often, we find ourselves guessing the value of the item as the

expert uncovers the age and history of the piece.

The camera captures the surprise of ordinary people learning that they own a

small treasure or an almost worthless knock-off that holds little more than

sentimental value. These mini-dramas make for good television.

The Website

The award-winning PBS.org website sports an impressive alliance with Magnifi,

Inc., Personal Library Software, Sun Microsystems and UUNET Technologies, Inc.

Within it, the Antiques Roadshow area offers extensive coverage with

everything from the broadcast schedule to the biographies of the hundreds of

antiques experts.

Other areas that hold fascination for net-ster antique collectors are a

monthly "Appraise It Yourself" contest (prizes include polo shirts and a

mousepad) and a crude search engine buried in the Mailbag area. One memorable

show featured the $250,000 Milanese parade helmet found wedged in the corner

of an old attic. A picture of the helmet and its story can be found in the

"Appraise It Yourself" area.

The collecting craze seems to have infected a large part of the population.

Websites like eBay and other auction sites are now overrun with buyers and

sellers dealing with everything from Beanie Babies to Carnival glass. Gems (or

junk) get salvaged at both garage sales and cyber-auctions on their way to

becoming family heirlooms.

"The Antiques Roadshow" offers a venue where these items can be given the

careful eye of experts. The Roadshow website provides some tips and tricks in

helping evaluate a "treasure" before tucking it under your arm and having it

appraised before a potentially worldwide audience.

The 1999 Schedule

An Antiques Roadshow Jr for children has emerged in an effort to broaden the

audience and reach a younger group of collectors. The schedule for 1999 has

not been finalized. Several cities across the US and Canada remain under

consideration. The results will be posted on the website shortly. Maybe we

will see you on PBS showered in a genuine look of surprise.

Reviews of upcoming PBS shows are available via an e-mail newsletter. The

fastest way to sign up for delivery is to complete the clickable form at:

http://www.pbs.org/previews/wnsignup.html. Listserv veterans can sign up by

sending e-mail to www@pbs.org. In the body of the message type: sub

web-update.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roadshow/home.html

http://www.thebee.com/aweb/aa.htm

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/athome/yahoo/jan_05_98.html

http://www.ashoppingguide.com/antiques.htm

http://www.antiquetalk.com/html/columns.htm

(This is the 134th of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the

Internet. Next, 1999 Predictions is the subject on tap. Stay tuned. Until next

week, happy travels through cyberspace.

Previous issues of Internet Info for Real People (including links to sites

mentioned in this article) can be found at http://www.thebee.com. Please

e-mail comments and suggestions to: rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)