Little Fort resident Elsie Karl says her late husband Rudy Messaros began fishing and hunting as a young boy in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. Rudy’s grandfather, with whom he was hunting ducks by the time he was eight years old, had a collection of duck decoys, all old, all ugly.
Or so they thought.
But in April 2009, Elsie had to find a third item to take to Little Fort’s first antique appraisal weekend. (For a specified fee, each client may have three items examined.) She had chosen a decorator’s porcelain plate and a piece of bone china. For lack of a better idea, she took along one of those old decoys stored in a bag in the garage.
Antique appraiser Peter S. Blundell of Vernon declared that duck to be worth $450. In fact, he said, the duck was likely created early in the 1900s, near the west coast of Nova Scotia where Rudy’s great-grandfather was born. Elsie says she’s since brought her valuable family keepsake indoors to her living room — until she hands it on to future generations.
Independent art and antique appraiser Blundell will return to the Little Fort Community Hall for another weekend of appraisals April 28 and 29. The event, sponsored by the North Thompson Valley Hospice House Society (NTVHHS), is not a show or a sale. Area residents may attend the affair as spectators or, for a $40 fee, bring up to three items each to be examined by Blundell.
Those wishing to participate in this year’s Little Fort Antique Weekend are advised to book appointments in advance by calling Pat at 250-672-5660 or Elsie at 250-677-4287.
Last year’s two-day show was booked virtually solid, most appointments made well in advance. The 2012 event runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., both Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29.
