Tired of Appraising Smurfs

Jane sent me the link to this article in The Onion, an online news source and thought it was interesting, funny and sadly appropriate.  The article details antique dealer and appraiser Milton Jarry from Duluth, MN who is tired of looking at collectibles, such as Smurf figurines.  Jarry talks about the disappointment of what comes through his shop, and what he has to sell in order to stay open.  His passion is items from New York lighting and metalwork firm E.F. Caldwell & Co, and antique European and Russian chandeliers, wall fixtures, and classic reproductions of 18th-century candelabras. Unfortunately, there is little market where is located for these fixtures, so he also deals in a mixture of antiques and collectibles. With that comes an endless stream of smurf figurines, lunch boxes and star war figures.

The article states

Jarry said he dreams of one day running a store that deals exclusively in E.F. Caldwell sconces, table lamps, and chandeliers, along with those of other celebrated firms like Sterling Bronze Co., Bradley & Hubbard, and Murano. Unfortunately, the antique market in Duluth is not large enough to support such specialization. To ensure his store's profitability, Jarry has been forced to offer more in-demand collectibles, such as Star Wars action figures, Schlitz beer signs from the '70s, and Welcome Back, Kotter TV tray tables.

As an added incentive for customers to come to his store, Jarry offers free appraisals.

"This morning alone, I appraised a Dukes Of Hazzard lunch box, a UM-Duluth edition Monopoly game from 1996, some Jaws 2 trading cards, and a smiley-face pillow that the owner found in her basement and thought looked 'pretty old,'" Jarry said. "Why do I put up with this?"

Ever since the debut of the PBS series Antiques Roadshow, Jarry has seen a rise in the number of people hoping to make a fortune selling antiques. A recent customer was disappointed with the $3 valuation he gave a 1999 reproduction of a 1976 Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox, a price Jarry said was "on the generous side."

Renee Knight, 34, owner of the lunchbox, questioned Jarry's appraisal.

"I saw a metal lunch box on eBay go for $60, and all it had on it was a picture of a horse," Knight said. "Frankly, I don't think he knows what he's talking about. Or maybe he was lying so I'd sell it to him for next to nothing."

To read the full article, click HERE.