Dartmouth Heritage Museum hosts 3rd annual antique roadshow

The third annual Antiques Roadshow took place Saturday at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum in Dartmouth, N.S.

“Today people are coming in and bringing items that they have had or collected over the years,” says Shannon Baxter, Dartmouth Heritage Museum collections manager. She said family heirlooms and other collectibles will be evaluated by one of the roadshow’s two appraisers.

The roadshow had a full turnout in 2024. The popularity of the event meant not everyone got their items appraised. This year the museum added a ticket cap to ensure everybody got to see an appraiser.

“Last summer we had well over 50 people, it was like a full house, we were not anticipating that many people,” says Baxter. “We limited to about 15 tickets this year.”

Each person who bought a $15 dollar ticket is able to bring in two items to learn their history and value.

“Some things are just so priceless, especially if it’s a family artifact or item,” says Baxter.

Ali Dykens from Dartmouth brought in two items she holds close to her heart. A porcelain figurine of a girl and her horse and one place setting from her mother’s china collection.

“My mother passed away and she had some nice things,” says Dykens. “I thought they were nice so I just wanted to see.”

Dykens says her love and appreciation of antiques and has grown over the years.

“You never know some things look awful but could be worth money,” says Dykens.

James Hewey is a retired antique dealer and one of the events appraisers. He’s said he’s seen just about everything and he appraises them three ways. Insurance value measures the cost to replace an often-irreplaceable item. Auction value considers the amount it might bring in at an auction. Then there’s the sale value.

“If you were selling it in a shop, what it might fetch in a shop,” says Hewey.

Appraising starts with examining the item, then having a conversation with the customer about the item’s history and how they obtained it, he says.

“I’m looking for the rarity of the item,” says Hewey. “The craftsmanship of the item and in jewelry it’s either silver, gold, plated or costume jewelry and costume jewelry can be worth as much as precious jewelry.”

Dykens said she hopes to keep her mother’s antiques in the family and pass them down to her children and eventually grandchildren.

“I just hope that the next person who gets this appreciates it as much as I do,” she said.

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