Danbury Museum Appraisal Day

DANBURY — The Danbury Museum is hosting an antique appraisal clinic on Saturday, November 6, from 10 am and 2 pm, with Jack DeStories of Fairfield Auction in nearby Newtown.

Cost is $5 per item, with 100 percent of proceeds going directly to the Danbury Museum, a nonprofit institution. The event will be at the museum, 43 Main Street, in the Marian Anderson Studio.

Mr DeStories has been an antiques appraiser for 17 years and has conducted numerous appraisal clinics for local senior centers, historical societies and churches.

At a recent clinic he was brought an old hewn maple club with a dark iron spike inset in the end. The piece was identified as Native American and later sold at auction by Mrs DeStories for $36,000. The owner received the oddity from his auction years before.

Fairfield Auction’s most recent find was a 19th Century weathervane in the form of a centaur, which sold in September for $253,000.

Said Mr DeStories, “I am always surprised what turns up at these appraisal clinics. Our most recent clinic included items ranging from Pairpoint lamp valued at $15,000 to a Lou Gehrig autographed baseball valued at $2,000. There are still great items waiting to be found in attics and basements.”

Up to three items per person in categories such as American and European furniture, paintings, bronzes, silver, carpets, porcelains, glassware, art pottery, lamps, clocks, music boxes, famous autographs and old toys will be evaluated.

For information, contact Danbury Museum at 743-5200.