As a former antiques dealer turned appraiser, Courtney Wilson has seen a lot of unique items.
Pieces of history belonging to Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew Jackson, as well as assassin John Wilkes Booth, are just a few of the antiques and collectibles the Baltimore resident has appraised. Wilson, who has two masters' degrees in history, specializes in a wide range of antiques, including militaria, Americana, political memorabilia and guns from pre-American Revolution to the 20th Century.
Wilson's expert knowledge will be put to the test Saturday as more than 150 people are expected to bring in memorabilia, antiques and collectibles to the 12th Annual Antiques Appraisals Day in Westminster. No matter if it's silverware passed down from generations or a painting picked up at an auction last week, all items are welcome at the event, sponsored by the Historical Society of Carroll County.
"There are many people with very valuable things out there and, unfortunately, there are people with things that they think are valuable and they're not," said Wilson, who is also the director of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum. "There's always the occasional surprise - something wonderful, great, rare, historic could walk through the door."
Over the years, Timmi Pierce, executive director of the historical society, said she's seen some surprising antiques brought to the event. One year, someone brought a painting by Pablo Picasso. A few years back, Pierce said, a painting brought in was valued at over $40,000.
Pierce's favorite story is about a person who picked up a German toy soldier they found thrown away at the Swap Shop at the Northern Landfill in Westminster. The person brought the toy solder to the appraisals event and found out it was worth $1,500, Pierce said.
You never know, Pierce said, how much something could be worth until you get it appraised. Several appraisers, including Wilson, will be on hand to tell people more about their special items.
"Quite often people are looking for a little more information on something that may have been inherited or purchased," Pierce said.
Many times, people bringing in antiques to be appraised are not interested in selling them, according to Jim Lightner, chairman of the event. Event-goers are looking to learn the history of their antiques and to have a appraisal so that they can properly insure them, Lightner said.
