Gunnedah treasures on the appraisal table

Most people have a sneaky suspicion something in their home is worth a small fortune.

Maybe it’s that garage sale find or a family heirloom that has been promised as priceless.

The Gunnedah community had a chance to cure its curiosity when the Red Cross branch presented an ‘Antique Roadshow’ day at Oak Tree recently.

With $5 appraisals by Nundle’s Mark Delahunt, it was an opportunity to raise money for the charity while thinking outside the box.

His job was to appraise and give approximate value to the many items brought to him.

He said many brought in belongings of their grandparents and relatives to be assessed.

There were a few items that stood out to him as more valuable than what the owner anticipated. Among them was a women’s gold pocket watch which he described as “beautifully made”.

Another was a Royal Worcester Platter which the owner had paid $25 at an op shop for, but upon closer inspection was closer in value to $500.

Mark has a lifetime worth of knowledge, starting his learning with his father at just five-years-old. He came back to the business 40 years ago.

He had a final piece of advice for Gunnedah Times readers.

“Just be careful we’re going into op shops because you might pick up something that’s very valuable,” he said.

The Red Cross was grateful for Mark who agreed to donate his time for the event.

President of Gunnedah’s Red Cross branch Susie Lyle said it was using the popular ‘Antique Roadshow’ as inspiration for the event.

“We were trying to do something a bit different,” she said.

In a nod to the television show, the crew had even set up some ‘basic, better and best’ items.

People enjoyed the debate of which tea cup or trinket had the greater value, before an explanation and confirmation came from Mark.

Susie said it was important to raise funds for the Red Cross charity, noting that everyday it was helping somewhere.

“Thank you to the community for their support,” she said, also appreciating anyone who chose to join the cause.

“It’s up to us as a community to raise money for that organisation – because otherwise, who would help?”

Jill and Rick Sampson pictured with a chair crafted by Rick that was originally Jill’s mother’s sewing machine.

Getting a chair appraised was Rick and Jill Sampson.

What was originally a 1923 Singer Treadle Sewing Machine was repurposed by Rick into a chair. Some parts are new timber but plenty of the old machine was identifiable and respected.

It was not only given a new life, but a completely new worth.

What Rick anticipated may be worth about $400, he said was actually estimated at $1200.

While it could possibly fetch a pretty penny, the sentimental value of the piece meant it was worth more than the money.

Rick had finished creating it earlier this year, after it had been sitting in Jill’s mother’s shed for years and a further four years in his own.

The couple however wanted its appraisal to know if it was worth envisioning new purposes for more old machines.