Utah crowds bring antiques and high hopes to 'Roadshow'

To an unknowing observer, it would have been a comical sight: Men and women in a tight-packed line, hauling furniture and carrying paintings, books and other collectibles such as guns and guitars.

One man was even toting a brass headboard. Next to him was a woman with a sketch of Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Not at all abnormal, according to Judy Matthews, senior publicist with "Antiques Roadshow." You can see and hear anything when filming an episode for the popular PBS series, she said.

"It kind of doesn't matter where we go," Matthews said.

Saturday, the "Antiques Roadshow" crew was at the Salt Palace Convention Center, shooting footage for three one-hour episodes that will air sometime between January and next June on KUED Channel 7. About 5,000 people attended. Each had applied for tickets three months before the event.

Ken Sanders owner of Ken Sanders Rare Books in Salt Lake City, described the scene as simply exciting. He was participating as one of three appraisers of rare books and manuscripts.

"I'm getting overwhelmed with all this really cool stuff," Sanders said.

By 11 a.m., Sanders had appraised one of the show's "high-ticket" items: a copy of the "Pearl of Great Price," worth about $45,000 to $50,000. The "Pearl of Great Price" is a book considered scripture by members of the LDS faith.

Appraiser Arlie Sulka, managing director of Lillian Nassau Ltd. in New York City, has been working with "Antiques Roadshow" for eight seasons, appraising glass items. The show, she said, is all about stories and history.

"Most want to know what they have," said Sulka. "A lot of people are just really happy to be here."

Larry and Lee Carrillo of Ogden came to the show with collectibles from Samoa, where they had worked as teachers for three years. After waiting for at least an hour to get to the main production area, they were in line at the tribal arts table, waiting for their items to be appraised. Most people wait an average of one or two hours before getting into the main production area, according to Matthews.

Of the 5,500 that attended Saturday's event, only about 50 will appear on the televised episodes.

Lee Carrillo said she wasn't worried about the value of her items, one of which is a tapa cloth given to Carrillo and her husband by a Samoan chief.

"I'd like to find a museum to take care of it," she said.

Former Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini came to the event with ancient items her mother collected while living in Beirut, Lebanon, and Aleppo, Syria. The items included six crusader powder boxes and several Roman oil lamps. Value: about $200 a piece for the powder boxes and $150 to $300 for the oil lamps.

"If I had known they'd be so inexpensive," Corradini said, "I'd have brought something else."

"Antiques Roadshow" will be filming in five other cities this summer. The footage, along with episodes shot Saturday in Salt Lake City, will be part of the show's 11th season.

For more information about the "Antiques Roadshow," log on to www.pbs.org/antiques.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com