Family heirlooms resurface at Road Show

By Carrie A. Mizell

John Davis knew the antique stroller he picked up at a yard sale near Fort White two years ago was special, but he didn’t know just how special until an expert looked at it Friday night during Trenton’s Antique Road Show.
Made in the mid-1800’s, the English stroller cost the High Springs man $200, and is now valued at $1200.
“I have wondered about it for a while now,” Davis said. “We keep it in the closet at my house because we have a little one who would want to play on it.”
Davis was one of a large crowd who braved the chilly temperatures to spend Friday evening at the Trenton Depot in hopes of having dishes, jewelry, furniture, art and books appraised by one of four antique experts.
Monis Bass of Branford brought a family heirloom, a large Victorian clock, to be appraised. After taking one look at the clock branded with the Coca-Cola logo, appraiser Ron Mills told Bass that she had a real find on her hands. Bass explained that the clock used to hang in an old store in High Springs and once belonged to her stepmother.
After looking the clock over thoroughly, Mills put a $1,600-$1,800 value on the antique.

Cheryl Davis of Bell brought in $400 worth of coined silver flatware, each piece bearing a matching monogram. According to appraiser Vicki Sustana, coined silver is very popular right now as people struggling have taken to scrapping their silver.
“What you have is just awesome!” Sustana told a delighted Davis.
Like Davis, Terri Barton of Gainesville brought several family heirlooms to be appraised including a dollhouse that was passed down from her mother, the late Janice Welch of Trenton. Originally the Victorian dollhouse belonged to Barton’s great-grandmother and has been passed down through generations of her family. Today, Barton said she keeps the dollhouse, which is very sentimental to her, in a china cabinet. Due to its time worn condition, Sustana placed a $175 value on the dollhouse.
According to Kyle Stone, executive director of the Gilchrist County Chamber of Commerce, the Antique Road Show drew a large crowd from as far away as the Villages, who rode a bus to attend the show.
Judy Cabot of Thonotosassa, Fla. sent Stone a note on the Chamber website Monday afternooon expressing her appreciation for the weekend events in Trenton.
“Good day. Just a quick note to let you know how much my sister and I enjoyed this past weekend’s events. Your community was pretty awesome, very friendly and welcoming, and your stores were amazing! Thanks so much for hosting the variety of events and we hope to visit your community again next year,” stated Judy Cabot.
Stone estimated a crowd of 250 people enjoyed the Antique Road Show. After the event, Stone said she plans to add a fifth antique expert next year to accommodate the large crowd, since this year’s Road Show went 20 minutes over its scheduled end time. The Chamber of Commerce reportedly sold 60 barbecue dinners at the event.