Friday, October 02, 2009
Antiques appraiser puts spotlight on Botetourt
Ken Farmer
Priscilla Richardson is columnist The Botetourt View. You can contact her at 981-3430 or via e-mail.
Priscilla Richardson
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When nationally known Ken Farmer came to Botetourt to do antiques appraisals at The Glebe, many brought out their possessions. Local dealers credit TV's "Antiques Roadshow,," on which he appears, with raising interest in antiques. Diane DiPalma, owner of Eagle's Wings in Buchanan, a group of about 10 independent dealers under one roof, agrees. "The show has made people more aware of the potential of something in their attic. But I also think it has given them too high of expectations at times. They think everything is going to be a treasure."
And even when the show gives a high appraisal on something just like what you have, remember "they give New York prices. They're dealing generally in big cities such as San Francisco where antiques are pricey. We get people here who buy [items] from the shop and take them there [to big cities] and resell them."
Farmer, 59, who has brought a national spotlight onto our southwestern Virginia culture, obviously enjoys his work. He takes his turn on the "Antiques Roadshow" during the summertime tapings, paying his own way. He finds, however, that the deals he makes with other dealers compensate him.
Can he offer to sell something brought to him during a Roadshow taping? Absolutely not. "You can't even give someone your card if you do an appraisal for them. If they want you, they have to make the next move."
Farmer, a graduate of Emory and Henry in economics, at first worked for the state. "Then when we first married, basically seeking to furnish our home, we started going to auctions. One thing led to another. I've always been a bluegrass musician. From there it grew into an interest in the material culture of the South. I was self-employed within a couple of years of us getting married in 1974."
And by the way, he adds, furnishing a home with antiques still pays for anyone starting out, as prices of comparable older furniture usually beat those of new.
So from loading up his pickup ruck and tooling around to flea markets on weekends he graduated to having his own premises in Radford. "Expertise just comes from starting to buy and sell. And then in the auction business we're exposed to a lot of different categories. When you're in this if you have a visual memory and are interested, you can remember if something you looked at was good, bad or indifferent. But really it's just from handling thousands of different objects and being exposed to it [the business] all these years."
For those who get confused about the different prices given to owners on the show, he explains the difference between dealer prices and auction estimates. "Dealers own the piece. So if you're paying retail, you're paying for the comfort level." Dealers will give guarantees of age and so on. But in the auction business, "you can't guarantee something you don't own. We try to provide the scholarship but it's up to the buyer."
And speaking of blessings, do give thanks for the national spotlight Farmer has brought to this region. For more information about Ken Farmer's business, go to www.kfauctions.com
Don't forget: Buchanan's Mountain Magic is Saturday. Antiques, crafts, old cars, food, with bluegrass music. Main Street, from 10 a.m. til 5 p.m. For more information, call 540-254-1212.
