Mark F. Moran Appraisals of Antiques & Fine Art
N7326 Maple Ridge Trail
Iola, Wis. 54945
715-281-5060
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What prompted you to create these sorts of events?
I started the events because I was let go from my job as senior editor of antiques & collectibles books at Krause Publications, Iola, Wis., in January 2011. The response to the program was instantly positive with more than 1,000 events booked by 2019.
Do you go by an official name for the event?
No, hosts usually label it “What’s It Worth” or “Trash or Treasure?” or “Cash or Clutter?”
What should the potential visitors expect to learn, other than the appraisal itself?
This is appraisal as theater, so expect humor, anecdotes, tales from the road and just a lot of fun.
How do these events work?
Folks bring in their treasures, and I ask them what they know about the objects, how they acquired them. Then I explain an object’s history or intended use, details about the maker or country of origin, the era when it was made and any design influences. Then I note any condition issues, how this affects value and suggest how they can have an object repaired or restored, if desired. Finally I give my opinion of value, and try to answer questions about how they might sell it, if that’s their goal. (As much as I’d like to sometimes, I never offer to buy or arrange a sale on a commission.)
I am available to make home visits for people with big things, or fragile things (or a lot of things). House calls are $75 an hour and there is no mileage charge if within 10 miles of the appraisal event site. To arrange, call 715-281-5060 or email moranm1953@gmail.com.
Your goals in doing these events?
To bring a fun and educational event to residents of communities large and small who may never get to attend Antiques Roadshow, and who don’t need an elaborate certified appraisal. They’re just curious and want to know the history, origin, and uses of their treasures … even if they aren’t especially valuable. And I’ve found most people don’t care about value, they just want to know if the story they’ve heard all their lives about inherited objects is true.
What do you enjoy most about holding your events?
The challenge of walking into a room with dozens of objects I’ve never seen before and trying to enlighten the owners about their histories.
Why did you decide to include a fund-raising aspect to your business?
Small libraries and historical societies are always strapped for cash. The fund-raising aspect makes my programs more attractive.
Your earliest memory of your antiques passion and how you cultivated it?
I first walked into an antique shop in 1973, became a part-time dealer in the 1980s, and started writing books in the 1990s. I have 27 books to my credit. And I was a newspaperman for 30 years at papers in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Along the way I’ve met hundreds of great folks in the antiques trade and learned from them as well. I quit the newspaper business to write antique reference books full time in 2002.
Any surprises you since starting these? Any unusual anecdotes?
A woman bought a house in 1945, and the previous owners had left an old table lamp. She took good care of it for almost 70 years, and brought it to one of my programs. Turns out it was a Tiffany Acorn lamp, circa 1910, worth about $8,000.
A couple brought a pair of cloisonné elephants into a program. They had been inherited from an uncle. They later sold at auction for just over $12,000.
Finally, on a house call after an appraisal event, a couple showed me a painting they had inherited. It had been kept in their basement for 50 years. I told them it might be worth $200,000. It ended up selling at auction for $345,000.
Following is from my resume:
Krause Publication, Iola, Wis., Senior Editor, Antiques & Collectibles Books. Editorial Director, F+W Media Antiques Group.
Editor, Antique Review East magazine. Contributing Editor, Antique Trader magazine.
Show Producer, Atlantique City, (formerly) the world’s largest indoor antiques and collectibles show, held at the Atlantic City, N.J., Convention Center.
Mark F. Moran Appraisals of Antiques & Fine Art 