Huble Homestead has already been appraised at high historical value for Prince George.
Now the nearby tourist site will help local people with their own antiques to know the worth of those objects. An appraisal fair will provide that assessment service and at the same time raise some money for the protection and preservation of the living history museum devoted to Prince George at the turn of the 20th century.
"You never know what is hiding in someone's closet, and you'd be surprised at what can be found in Prince George's attics and cupboards," said Krystal Leason, executive director of the Huble Homestead/Giscome Portage Heritage Society.
"Some of these treasures will see the light of day at Huble Homestead Historic Site's biennial antique appraisals fundraising event, returning this weekend."
The Exploration Place's spacious and picturesque atrium is opening its doors to host the event between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
The professional appraiser in the spotlight is once again Ted Pappas who has been to Prince George nine previous times for Huble Homestead fundraisers like this one.
"He has a personal reason for returning to support the local attraction: his family has roots in Prince George and ties to the Huble family," said Leason.
"Pappas's grandfather, Theodore Pappas, left Greece as a young man in 1910, finding his way to B.C.'s north and working on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway as a water boy by 1913.
"Once the rail line was completed to Fort George, he started seeking other opportunities, and by 1918 he and his wife owned a grocery store on George Street.
"In 1919 he began buying furs from local Lheidli trappers and made a great deal of money in fur auctions over the intervening years. The Pappas family were contemporaries of the Huble family, and his son, also named Theodore Pappas, had fond memories of spending time on the Huble property with Al Huble Jr. in the 1920s.
"The Pappas family fell on hard times with the sudden death of Mrs. Pappas in 1928 and the stock market crash of 1929. In 1931, Pappas took his son and relocated to Vancouver where he founded Pappas Furs, selling fur garments and auctioning raw furs, solidifying the Pappas family name in the auction business."
Anyone who wants to have an item appraised need only pay $15 to have it (single item or a set) looked at by the trained Pappas eye.
"Only once or twice has Pappas been stumped by an item in the decade he's been working with Huble Homestead on this event," Leason said.
Items that are too large or difficult to move can also be appraised, as long as you bring clear, well-lit photographs of the items.
Photographs must be printed and any notes about markings or labels on the items are also helpful.
Leason said arrangements could also be made for home visits if there were too many items or if they were too awkward to transport.
Appraisal tickets can be purchased at The Exploration Place at the time of the event, on a cash-only basis.
Leason said "general admission to the event is free and everyone is welcome to watch Pappas appraise items live in front of the crowd."
Find more information visit the Huble Homestead website at www.hublehomestead.ca, or call 250-564-7033.
