Traveling company has eye for collectibles

A traveling road show on the hunt for dusty heirlooms may ring a bell with Spokane residents. It was just a few years ago when a visit from the popular PBS series “Antiques Roadshow” enticed hundreds to dig through attics and closets and stand in line to get their collectibles appraised.

What’s coming to Spokane next week sounds similar, but it’s a commercial venture looking to scoop up bargain buys on your old coins, unwanted jewelry and vintage toys.

Treasure Hunters Roadshow, an Illinois-based company with 25 teams crisscrossing the country, will set up shop Tuesday for a five-day run at the Hampton Inn on South Assembly Road.

The company says its “experts” – they’re not appraisers – evaluate items people bring in and make offers on behalf of collectors around the world. Prices are determined using databases of recently sold items as well as auction websites, said Matthew Enright, vice president of media relations for Treasure Hunters.

“People can get true value for items using these resources that we have at the show,” Enright said.

Sellers should research the value of their property before visiting with a buyer, caution local appraisers and a business watchdog group.

“We don’t discourage people from going to these types of shows out of curiosity, but it’s best to get two or three opinions before selling an item,” said Zan Deery, lead investigator for the regional office of the Better Business Bureau.

Something as simple as the calibration of a scale weighing precious metals makes a difference for the person selling the item. “More often than not we tell people to deal with local jewelers that have standards for calibrating their scales,” Deery said.

The BBB has given Treasure Hunters a national rating of A-minus on a scale of A through F. The rating is based on how the company responds to complaints through the BBB. Though Treasure Hunters has been responsive, potential sellers generally should be cautious, Deery said. A BBB report on Treasure Hunters cites issues with the company’s advertising and improper use of the BBB logo.

“Quite frankly there are some red flags. The devil is in the details,” Deery said.

She recommends that residents check feedback from sellers at previous Treasure Hunters stops and check the market values of their items, as prices may vary daily.

Spokane-based appraiser Carol Worthington-Borodin, of Worthington-Borodin Appraisers, said there is no Washington state license required to appraise items. However, she is a member of the American Society of Appraisers, one of several appraisal certification organizations that follow the standards of United Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice.

USPAP is the standard for quality appraising set by an appraisal foundation and recognized by the federal government. The state does not have requirements, but within the industry USPAP is accepted by appraisal organizations.

To be certified in the American Society of Appraisers, Worthington-Borodin said she had to take a series of tests in areas such as ethics and the methodology of writing appraisals.

“Appraisal is about analyzing all of the data possible and seeing how it’s relative to the market,” she said. “An appraiser must ask a lot of questions and be able to analyze the answers.”

Factors that affect the value of an item include its age, its size and the popular period of collection, Worthington-Borodin said. An appraiser also may help move an item to a more valuable market for sale.

This is Treasure Hunters Roadshow’s first stop in Spokane and its first year in Washington, Enright said.

The company, started in 1996, hopes to launch a TV show documenting its travels.