posted on July 12, 2002 08:22:02 AM
I am surprised that any of these ridiculous TV shows on antiques actually under valued anything, as most I have seen, so over value items, it is a joke except to the naive and inexperienced.
If I could sell many of our antiques for the prices shows like "The Antique Road Show," say they should bring, I could retire today!
I don't even bother watching such shows, they are so out in “nanny land.”
posted on July 12, 2002 08:59:38 AM
I have a friend that lives in New England and a while ago there were two men going door-to-door in her older homes neighborhood. The men were asking the residents if that had any older attic/basement items they wanted appraised and possibly purchased by them. It seemed like a smart way for the men to get quality items at low prices for resale. I think most of the wylie New Englanders were just getting free appraisals as most already knew about what their items were really worth.
It's an even better way for a couple of guys to scope out just what someone has in their house, keep an eye on things until owner is away or somehow duped to be away, then break in & ransack the place!
posted on July 14, 2002 12:31:17 PM
I saw that episode with the sword...it was on an Antiques Roadshow PBS fundraiser...
It was too hilarious!
Most people aren't that specific where they got an item, or better, they usually know it's been in the family.
This was found hanging in an attic found while they were going to paint a house. I don't think the guy was the original owner.
Considering all the specialty markings that were apparently on the sword (I don't know this stuff) I was surprised someone would have left it hanging and forgot it.
We have a Grand Army of the Republic here in Seattle, there are not that many veterans of the Civil war, and I think this was out of the west coast, so you'd think this would be a special item for any family member.
I guess for you folks that do estates, there is all sorts of folks.
posted on July 14, 2002 03:31:16 PM
Um..let me correct that...I meant soldiers lost in and veterans of the civil war buried in that cemetary...okay my non-historic guess that this region didn't have many folks to send...I knew I'd get around to my thought sooner or later.
posted on July 14, 2002 03:51:19 PM
Sorry I had a little laugh at your expense - but believe me, I really, really needed it.
I wasn't referring to your locale; I was thinking that the War ended 137 years ago...and if a boy joined on the very last day, and at age 12, he would be 149 years old now. Not impossible, I suppose.....
posted on July 14, 2002 03:58:51 PM
hehe..you wouldn't be the first...
Don't feel bad...I have a bunch of auctions ending with no bids...I would love a sniper or two!
posted on July 14, 2002 06:48:39 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C., JULY 9 -- The United States Attorney in Philadelphia filed a criminal indictment against Russell Pritchard, III on March 15 charging that he had fraudulently appraised Civil War items. One of Pritchard's co-defendants pleaded guilty on May 15 to two charges of fraud and two of perjury.
On January 3, D.C. Superior Court Judge William M. Jackson had refused to allow the deposition of Mr. Pritchard in a civil case against the Confederate Memorial Association (CMA) involving another of Pritchard's appraisals. Lawyers for Vicki Heilig of the National Association of Securities Dealers, who had bought the action against the CMA on behalf of herself and the United Daughters of the Confederacy, contended that they would not produce Mr. Pritchard "unless the judge orders us to."
John Edward Hurley, president of the Confederate Memorial Association, said that Judge Jackson must have known of the impending indictment because his wife, Susan Sinclaire, works at the U.S. Justice Department in the Office of Domestic Terrorism and Violent Crime. "For a judge to take the unusual step of denying the deposition of an individual who was currently being investigated by the FBI is strange to say the least," Hurley said, "and would certainly indicate a probability that the judge had prior knowledge."
Hurley said that Pritchard had valued a Confederate flag at $25,000 without having seen the flag. Heilig's other expert witness, Thomas Weschler, senior vice president of Adam Weschler & Sons of Washington, D.C. whose deposition was also denied by Judge Jackson, had based all his appraisals in the CMA case on photographs. Both expert witness evaluations resulted in the transfer of $107, 000 from the CMA bank account without a court order. In addition, Hurley believes that Heilig's sworn claim of $400,000 in expenses is untrue.
Pritchard has been charged in the indictment with multiple charges of fraud, making a false statement and witness tampering, all charges that Hurley said he intended to prove in his $5 million civil action against Heilig and "her co-conspirators."
Pritchard's fraudulent appraisals came to light after George Pickett, V filed a civil suit claiming that Pritchard had defrauded him out of $800,000 for items that belonged to his progenitor, Confederate General George Pickett of "Pickett's Charge."
If convicted, Russell Pritchard, III faces 130 years in prison and up to $5 million in fines.
