A Treasure or Trinket event will be held from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.
The public is invited to bring in personal items for evaluation by certified appraisers. On hand will be experts in jewelry, fine art, textiles, toys, dolls, coins, furniture who will help people discover what their items might be worth.
Five signs of a valuable antique include:
• Rarity (few pieces were made or remain)
• Aesthetics (all elements blend together seamlessly)
• Desirability (what’s in vogue in the current market)
• Authenticity (determine/verify materials, signatures or time periods)
• In good condition
The experts at the Arms event will be John Walcher and Joe Stanfield of the John Toomey Gallery; Heidi Harders, gemologist; and Kellie Scott of Divine Consign.
Founded in 1982, the John Toomey Gallery in Oak Park is a leading resource for 20th century art and design, ranging from the arts and crafts movement, mid-century modern, to today. Walcher works in the fine arts department and Stanfield is a silver and decorative arts expert.
Harders, a graduate gemologist from the Gemology Institute of America, has more than 29 years of experience in the jewelry industry. She is a member of national and local gemological and appraisal associations and has been the president of Chicago Gem Evaluation Services since 1996.
Scott is the owner of Divine Consign, a furniture consignment store in Oak Park that offers an eclectic mix of new and vintage furniture pieces. Scott accepts eligible items people no longer want or need in exchange for a portion of the final sales price.
Oak Park Arms Senior Living is a rental retirement community which provides senior housing in the form of independent living. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
The event is free and open to the public. A $5 donation is suggested to support Celebrating Seniors. A light boxed lunch will be served. Participants are limited to three items.
For more information call 708-386-4025.
