Treasure Seekers

Do you have a gold mine hiding somewhere in your house waiting to be uncovered and discovered? Is your basement or attic filled with a treasure trove of antiques and collectibles just sitting there collecting dust? Would a little extra money come in handy? 

The Treasure Hunters Roadshow is in Lansdale until Friday, and a crew of experts is ready to examine your items with no appointment necessary. 

Rick Gunther is the manager for the show that is currently residing at the Lansdale Homewood Suites. 

“I look at it as a stimulus package to the local town. It gives people some extra money that they didn’t have before,” said Gunther. 

He noted that, at any given time, there are 75 shows taking place across the United States and Canada each week, and Treasure Hunters is expanding to include Spain.  Shows generally last five days, and then Treasure Hunters moves on to the next location.

Gunther explained that the location for the shows is picked by population and is not geared toward any particular age group or socioeconomic faction. 

Here is what you need to know for your visit to the Treasure Hunters:

First, go through your attic, basement, garage, and storage areas, and collect the items that you think might be of value or be of a collectible nature.  Pack them up and take them over to the show. 

Experts from the Treasure Hunters will sit down with you and inspect the items that you bring, and there is no limit to the number of articles that you may have examined. 

Next, the representative from Treasure Hunters will identify the item using personal knowledge, off-site resources, the Treasure Hunters library and the Internet. 

The expert will then check the online database to determine the amount of the offer that will be made to you for your treasures. 

Those who wish to sell their items will be paid at once, and Treasure Hunters representatives will ship the item to the collector who, in turn, pays for all shipping and handling charges.

When asked how Gunther got started in the business, he said, “I got my start at a garage sale when I bought a Disney cut-out of Snow White for $7 to use in decorating my daughter’s room.  I found out it was from the 1940s, and it later sold for $100.”

In 1993 he became a “picker,” and then had a stint at owning an antique mall. 

“I gained expertise through time,”  he said.

Gunther said that the most unusual item that he has come across was a 1931 Martin guitar, for which the owner was offered $250. 

“There are only 19 known to exist,” he said. 

Gunther noted that the most popular items to be brought in are vintage guitars, gold and silver.             

Treasure Hunters Roadshow dates back to 1996, with its headquarters in Springfield, IL, and Jeff Parsons at the helm. Treasure Hunters started with purchasing toys and then branched out into gold, silver, coins, art work, trains, musical instruments, advertising memorabilia and a host of other collectibles and antiques. 

The process is quite simple. 

“When people come in, their items are evaluated for the market value today. Then, the collector is made an offer if they should want to sell.  But we do not appraise,”  said Gunther.

Here is your chance to become a part of the Roadshow experience right in your own backyard.  This presents an opportunity to clean out the attic, discover some hidden gems, and possibly have some monetary gain as a bonus for all your work. 

The Treasure Hunters Roadshow is open to the public this week, March 21– 25 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and it is taking place at the Homewood Suites by Hilton at 1200 Pennbrook Parkway, Lansdale. 

For more information, call 217-787-7767.