Mark Walberg and his “Antiques Road Show” crew were nowhere to be found, but the Ocean City Senior Center’s Antique Appraisal Night on Thursday did not take a back seat to the popular PBS television show.
More than 75 people packed the Center for the event, and a like number of items were on display for appraisals from local experts. It was held in conjunction with the Ocean City Historical Museum.
Al Crescenzo and wife Sandra were typical of the group. Al, a docent of the museum and Vice President of its board, brought a German Bible that had belonged to his late uncle Louis Grisafi. The small book, bearing the date 1856, was a souvenir of World War II.
Grisafi, who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, picked up the Bible somewhere during his war journeys and held onto it until his death approximately 20 years ago. Crescenzo inherited the book and held onto it since then.
“I have absolutely no idea what it is worth, which is why we brought it here tonight,” Crescenzo said.
The items were discussed and appraised by Bruce Dooley and Bill Booth of Elwood Antiques. Dooley offered a disclaimer that some items, such as paintings by artists they were not familiar with, would require further research. And that many items simply aren’t worth what many owners expect.
“There are retail values, which you aren’t going to get unless you sell the item yourself, wholesale values, insurance value if you were going to replace the item and fair market value,” Dooley said. “We will try to do our best to present a fair market value. Some of what you hear will be good, and some of it will be bad.”
An example of the latter was a beautiful set of dinnerware, which was appraised at the same approximate price it was purchased for.
“Really there is no market for dinnerware like this,” Dooley said. “When people ask me if there is anyplace they can take something like this, I tell them to guilt somebody in your family to take it,” he said, drawing a big laugh.
For more information on Elwood Antiques, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-Dooley-Elwood-Antiques/100008997282705
The items included everything from antique furniture worth hundreds of dollars to glassware worth no more than $5.
A group of beer steins from Germany were valued at $20 each, with the exception of an older one that predated World War II ($40).
And what of Crescenzo’s German Bible?
“Normally Bibles don’t have a lot of value, but because of this one’s age, and its wonderful condition, I would value this one at $150,” Dooley said.
