Sertoma show features antiques, model trains

Sertoma show features antiques, model trains
The show is this weekend - April 16-17, 2011, in Binghamton, NY

If reality TV shows such as "Pawn Stars" and "American Pickers" are any guide, Americans have become increasingly willing to part with their antiques — for the right price. On the flip side, collectors are always looking for bargains.

But whether you're a seller or a buyer, the place to be this weekend is Binghamton University's Events Center for the 29th Annual Million-Dollar Antiques Show and Model Train Show. The three-day event — a fundraiser for the Binghamton Sertoma Club — will feature more than 150 dealers in crystal, glass, textiles, rugs, jewelry and more. Also there will be expert repair and restoration specialists

Promoter Chip Hunt, who also owns Midtown Antiques in Binghamton, said that although the long-running PBS series "Antiques Roadshow" has done much to educate the general public about historical items, the newer shows offer a more capitalistic approach that fits the current times.

"A lot of folks are coming to the shows more and more because they're curious about what they have at home — and some are entertaining selling their heirlooms because of the pressures of the economy," Hunt said earlier this week. "People are asking themselves: Am I going to keep this? Is the family going to be interested in retaining these items for the future? And if not, how can I get the best price by selling it?"

For those mainly interested to learn an item's value, appraiser David Mapes will host a free "Antiques Roadshow"-style panel from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Attracting a different sort of collector is the model train show, which returns for the second year, Hunt said. Along with vendors dealing in all manner of track gauges and accessories, two large displays will offer thrills for all ages.

Hunt said older folks often relive their childhoods through train sets.

"In the old days, it was very rewarding for a kid to receive a model train under the Christmas tree, and so many people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and even 70s continue to have fond memories of their childhood when they used to have their trains," he said. "These are the people who like to come out to the train shows to look and reminisce."