Snell duo rolls to Boise for Antiques Roadshow

Antiques Roadshow on Public Broadcasting is one of Debbie Snell’s favorite television programs so when a chance came to get tickets for the show when it rolled into Boise, she went for it.

Although she suspected her chances were slim, Snell registered for the Boise stop on the Roadshow website and waited.

Antiques Roadshow goes on tour during the summer months with stops at five or six places in the whole country.

After checking the show’s website, Snell found she had two tickets.

“The hardest part is figuring out what to bring,” she said.

Snell, who is the properties manager for the Port of Whitman County and who collects vintage clothing, chose a 1950s Japanese wedding kimono she purchased at the Pullman Goodwill for $18 and an art deco tray she bought at Thrifty Grandmothers in Colfax.

Snell, with her husband, Jerry, made their way to Boise’s fairgrounds June 29 and entered one of three expo buildings on the grounds. It was 106 degrees.

“Thank God the buildings were air conditioned,” she said.

They arrived about 3:30 that afternoon, a half hour before their scheduled time, and were met with a line 600 people long that snaked its way around the entire building.

“It was like being at Disneyland,” Debbie said.

Antiques Roadshow brought in 70 appraisers who worked from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. when they closed and locked the doors.

Each appraiser took about five minutes for each appraisal.

“These are world-class appraisers who do this for a living,” Debbie said.

As the Snells stood in line, they visited with their fellow antique lovers and talked about what they wanted appraised. When they got to the head of the first line, they received four tickets for the different categories of the things they brought to be appraised.

The next line took them to the categories in a different building and also where some of the video was being recorded for the show.

Out of the 5,000 appraisals that day, only 90 were selected to be filmed, Snell said.

Dessa Goddard was the appraiser for the Japanese gown. Debbie immediately recognized her and said she was excited to have her appraise the gown.

“But as I got to her, she yawned,” Debbie said. “Then she apologized and said it had been a long day.”

Goddard told Debbie that five years ago, the gown would have been worth $1,000 or more, but the market for such clothing has declined and now is only worth between $500 to $800. Debbie was still pleased with the appraisal.

The tray from the grandmothers shop was appraised at around $50. She was not disappointed because she only paid a quarter for it.

After three and a half hours of standing in line, they finally left.

“It was a rush,” Snell said. “I enjoyed it and had a good time. I loved seeing the appraisers I’ve seen on TV.”

She said if the roadshow comes close again, she would definitely try to get tickets.

She also will continue to watch her favorite program and collect vintage clothing.

When Snell told her daughter, Amy, about the trip, she said “Oh, mom, what a cute old person thing to do.”