(Maine) Antiques Roadshow
Expert Advice
The popular PBS series, Antiques Roadshow, has never swung through our state — what’s up with that? So we created our own version, enlisting top appraisers to evaluate your Maine antiques.
I’m intrigued by this piece of china from the Maine Central Railroad, manufactured by Syracuse China. Know anything about it?
Tim Stuy, Allamuchy, New Jersey
Bottero’s Appraisal: $50–$75
My husband and I bought this pinball machine at a barn sale 30 years ago. It was made in the early 1930s by Scientific Machine Corp. What else can you tell us?
Lisa Hincher, Gorham
Gamage’s Appraisal: $1,000–$1,500
My husband found this three-inch pulley at a flea market in Searsport. Considering the town’s seafaring history, the vendor suspected it was made by a local sailor. Any thoughts?
Jenny Venegas, Mill Valley, California
Bottero’s Appraisal: $300–$400
I purchased this table on Craigslist. It’s decorated with beautiful scrollwork and the date 1641. I was told it was a sea captain’s table. What do you think?
Derek Markgren, Falmouth
Have a curiosity you’d like to know more about? Send a photo and description to sarah@mainehomes.com and we may feature it in an upcoming column.
“Maybe this belonged to a sea captain, but it was not designed for use on a ship,” Gamage says. The European piece has a worn top and narrow profile, indicating that it was probably an altar or worktable; its raised top edges suggest that there may have been a loose panel that fitted over it. Hand-carved mostly of oak with a dark patina befitting its age, “this is a beautiful antique,” Gamage says.
Gamage’s Appraisal: $1,800–$2,200