My ANTIQUES ROADSHOW Trip
June 17, 2006
Tucson, Arizona
For those of you who watch the PBS TV-series and wonder how their behind-the-scenes work that they don't show on-air, read on!Antiques Roadshow began filming this summer '06 for their eleventh season, to air beginning in January '07. Their first stop was in Tucson. This would make their second visit to this small city (1st visit was in '02). They also made a stop in Phoenix way back in '97 for their second season. I wonder why they picked Tucson twice and not go back to Phoenix? Must've been their budget- Tucson's probably cheaper. PBS station relies on sponsorships and donations.I decided to take the Greyhound bus instead of driving so that I could relax round-trip and survey and get to know the Arizona freeway routes before I decide whether to drive on my own, in the future. It's only approximately 125-130 miles to-and-fro my home city of Phoenix and just over an hour and a half non-stop. Not too bad, I thought. However, it would've been easier if it was in the winter instead of summer. I'd say it was about 104 degrees in Tucson and about 109 degrees in Phoenix that day (with very low humidity in the single digit that makes it more bearable). Major icks and ughs. I carry an umbrella with me for extra protection. But, the Roadshow crew films during the summer months of June-August annually. I wore very comfortable clothing: a non-sleeved blue denim shirt with floral bike-type shorts with a matching blue carry-on bag. I wanted to wear something that would keep me cooled down for this climate, or warm- in case of blasting cold air conditioning. I made sure to bring bottled water, cookies, and chewing gum to keep myself hydrated and my appetite in check. I even lightened my hair. I wanted to look great, especially on TV! The bus trip to Tucson arrived earlier than expected, so when I got to the Tucson Convention Center (which is very conveniently located right next door to the Greyhound station), they switched my tickets so that I didn't have to wait to use the assigned 2 PM line that they pre-selected for me during their drawing when I signed up at their official website. I got in with the new ticket that stated I could get in between 8 AM to 3:30 PM; I wonder why I was not given that option when I originally signed up. Anyway, the rule is that you have to have this (free!) ticket to get in, plus one or two items for appraisal. You cannot enter without a ticket or without an item for appraisal (also free). This is not an event for the general public to gain entry and canvass the scene and hang around like a standard convention. This is also not the place to buy/sell appraised items; they are to be done off the premises. Years ago, one Roadshow appraiser was dismissed for offering to buy somebody's item after he appraised it on their premises, and the Roadshow producers decided not to air repeats of the past seasons' episodes that the appraiser had appeared in. As expected, the 'Waiting' line was very long, with an average two-hour wait in a snake-like fashion. We were encouraged to make the lines bearable by chatting with fellow attendees and showing off our items and telling stories. I chatted with a woman who drove from Willcox, Arizona. She and her friend(?) brought jewelry and paintings. Next, you get to the 'Triage' line, where you are given a small ticket(s) based on the category(ies) of your items to be appraised. I brought in:
--1800s rubber-type stamp set (alphabet, numbers, symbols) made by Chicago-based Superior Solid (sign-maker company)
and
--1960s Peanuts cookie cutter/stamp set (Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus) made by Hallmark.
So, I was handed two Collectible tickets. Next, you are to wait in a new line. Since Collectible is common and popular, there were two split meandering lines. Those lines were rather long and moving so slowly (slower than the Waiting line), and I had to flag down one of the Roadshow's assigned volunteers (who wear official blue Polo shirts) to request to be placed in front of that particular line, with an explanation that I used the Greyhound bus to get to their event and did not want to miss my trip home. Greyhound service is limited in Tucson, as it's a small non-bustling city. I would not want to be stranded in Tucson overnight(!). There's nothing to do there, and I am never interested in Tucson. Since many people drove and had their own vehicles waiting in the parking lot for them all day and evening, I felt justified in my request. This is a rare exception, so I'd like to thank that volunteer gal for helping me out (and to the lady behind me for her patience). When my turn quickly came, I approached the famed appraiser Gary Sohmers (yay!) of allcollectors.com in Massachusetts, who was the assigned appraiser at the Collectible table, and he was impressed with what I brought in and appraised the rubber stamp set at $25 and the Peanuts cookie cutter/stamp set at $35. LOL. He was very congenial and easy to understand. What an expert, he must love his job.
A little history: I purchased both items on eBay.com. I had to outbid as a third bidder for the stamp set and outbid as the 18th bidder for the cutters. I collect various rubber stamps and cookie cutters as a hobby that I enjoy playing with. Before I left the (very cold) building, I made sure to pick up souvenirs and business cards, some which I share with others who could not make it or did not live near the chosen cities. Here is a paragraph excerpt from the newspaper article that I found: Among ultimate finds are antique cutters or the Hallmark's Peanuts Gang plastic cutters, which may have a market value of hundreds of dollars. "The challenge is to find them at flea markets for 25 cents," says Maguire. ~~~I usually take Beau with me to trips, but since it's way too hot out and he's now 13 years old, I would not dare put him in the middle of all this heat and big trip. I left him home with Brandy, our Persian cat. This is my first trip out of town away from Beau, and while enroute to Tucson, I was a bit misty-eyed and missing my Furkids already. I wore dog & cat picture frame pins with pictures of Beau & Brandy, which attracted some attention from people. I told them I miss them at home and glance at the pictures to make me feel close to them. At the end of the day, when the Greyhound bus enroute from Mexico was two hours late, I became concerned that something's happening associated with that bus. The staff empathetically told me they don't communicate with drivers while driving. I told them they should have a spare fleet of buses just so that people can get home on time. I was a bit worried about Beau & Brandy and went to the restroom to shed a tear a bit. I was hoping Beau & Brandy were okay at home all day and all evening with no problems (such as hoping the air conditioner didn't break down, etc.), so you can imagine my relief when I got home and everything was fine! Call me a protective mommy. I usually take short vacations or rarely vacation at all because of preferring to be with my Furkids... ~~~I'd give the day an overall rating of a B+. I would've given an A- if the weather was cooler, Greyhound was on time for homebound, and the Roadshow lines were shorter! As much as I did enjoy and was appreciative of experiencing the taping of Antiques Roadshow near my home city, I wouldn't go back and put up with those long lines. Looks like it's their way of controlling a large crowd. I bet lots of people were there, because it's TV. If it wasn't for "TV", then it perhaps would be like a standard convention-style event. If you can stomach standing for long periods of time in various lines (seriously, no sarcasm here), have a decent bladder, have lots of patience, and have somebody to talk with, then I'd say go for it...if you made their drawing next spring. Oh, and make sure you ate and rested well beforehand. I am definitely glad I went- I did not want to regret it, so I just up and went. However, your chance of making it on TV is slim, as you'll probably end up on the cutting floor, and not everybody who comments at the 'Feedback Booth' (there's a line for that, too) will make it in an episode. Once it airs, I will be sure to check and see if I got filmed anyhow, and if I did make it onto the show, I will be sure to update you here.
Have fun and good luck!
|
