The Treasure Hunters Roadshow set up shop at the Best Western in Huron Tuesday and will be open for business through Friday. Several associates are available to inspect your old coins, jewelry and antiques at no cost and offer you a valuation of your items. If an item is wanted by a collector, an offer is made and you can walk out with a check.

Site manager Dave Wright estimates that they will serve more than 150 people per day, around 600 over the course of the week, with Friday being their busiest day. He says about a third of those will go home with a check. The Roadshow has planned to spend around $741,000 in the Huron area this week.

So far there has not been a big winner come through the doors said Wright, but that could change. The cooler, wet weather is also a plus.

“We get farmers coming in with coins and stuff because they can’t work in the fields,” he said.

There was a steady stream of visitors throughout the day and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Among those were Carl and Verla Lindblad of Wolsey. They brought in about 40 silver dollars and some other coins, a belt buckle and a few antique spice tins.

“The buckle and tins weren’t worth anything,” said Carl Lindblad, “but the silver dollars were worth $250.” He also said the dimes fetched 40 cents each.

“We came away with a check for $260 for the coins,” he said. “We were satisfied with that.”

The Lindblads had been collecting the silver dollars over the past 20 years and storing them in jars. They decided they’d rather cash them in for the money than continue saving them.

Lindblad was impressed with the Roadshow employees, too. He stated that they were very organized and professional.

The Treasure Hunters Roadshow has been in business in its current format for about 17 years. There are 23 teams that travel throughout the United States completing 600 shows per year.

This is quite a difference from just a few years ago when it was a small enterprise. The business exploded with the availability of an Internet database of collectors and buyers Wright explained. He said they started buying gold and jewelry four years ago when the prices started to climb.

Right now the market is down for dolls, books and other paper goods and glassware. “Even the market for Depression glass is depressed,” quipped one associate.

Employee Kevin Berg agreed that folks should hang on to those items and wait for the market to pick up. He is a collector himself, having started at the age of 12 with a pocket watch.

He has been with the company for a year and a half and believes he has the best of both worlds.

“To be able to work in a field that you love is great,” he said. Berg also stated that he gets a lot of enjoyment from hearing the stories behind all the items that are brought in.

Whether they are unique, quirky, one-of-a-kind pieces or a tray full of old jewelry and coins, every person and every item has a story to tell and Berg is ready and waiting to hear yours.

For the complete article see the 07-30-2009 issue.

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