What's it Worth? Appraiser Checks Out Residents' Antiques at Ferndale Library

‎Ferndale resident James Lind remembers the Tiffany-style lamp sitting on his grandmother's nightstand for as long as he can remember. Decades later, it now sits in his home and is a valued family heirloom.

Lind took the lamp to the  on Wednesday night where professional appraiser Bob Ramsey was offering free verbal appraisals.

Though Lind learned his lamp could be worth around $1,000, he has no intentions of selling it. "It's something that we'll probably hold onto and pass onto my daughter," he said.

Interest in antiques growing

Ramsey offered free appraisals to Lind and the 15 or so other guests who attended the hour-and-a-half long ". To begin the program, audience members attempted to identify 24 now largely unrecognizable household items from the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s. Later, he provided appraisals on about a dozen items residents brought from home.

"Everybody has some household thing they figure has value. This is a way to find out," he said, adding that items passed down through generations are usually good things. "The family tends to have good taste."

Ramsey, who followed in his parents' footsteps and entered the antiques business 50 years ago, said interest in antiques has increased with the popularity of shows such as Antiques Roadshow and Pawn Stars.

"Everybody is into this," said Ramsey, a professional personal property appraiser who operates House on the Hill Antiques in Grosse Pointe and also has a store in Romeo.

Ferndale resident Teresa Jones wanted to find out the value of a large poster print she has held onto as part of her own antiques collection. Ramsey called it a "great iconic piece," she said.

"It's just something that I collected," Jones said.

Fran Foote, of Ferndale, said she enjoys watching Antiques Roadshow and attended Wednesday's event to see the appraisals. "This is a lot of fun. It's fun to kind of see it in person," she said.

How to get your antiques appraised

If you have items at home you would like appraised, Ramsey suggests contacting an appraiser like himself, referencing books such as Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide or even asking for help at the library.

Ramsey can be reached at (313) 719-9857.