Antiques Roadshow Tour 2001
Dateline: 04/05/01Showing up the likes of Austin City Limits, Masterpiece Theater and even Big Bird, Antiques Roadshow continues to fascinate viewers in its fifth season on PBS.
And it's really no wonder the show's so popular. Its amazing appraisals on items worth thousands of dollars even capture the attention of non-collectors. References to the program turn up on prime time television shows like Frasier, and Roadshow appraisers have even appeared on the Today Show.
For folks living in or near a city where the 2001 summer taping tour makes a stop, the real excitement is merely months away.
The Specifics
On June 9, the Tucson Convention Center will be abuzz with people from the Southwestern U.S. hoping their treasures amount to something worthy of on-air attention. This Arizona stop marks the of the first leg of the Roadshow's 2001 tour.
And even if they don't make the cut for television, everyone with an Antiques Roadshow ticket gets a verbal appraisal for up to two items. The chart below provides information on five more stops, down from nine tapings in 2000, on this year's tour.
Beginning at noon April 28, the tickets for this first stop on the roadshow tour will go up for grabs. And as we say in Texas, they won't last till the water gets hot. All the tickets, issued through Ticketmaster (either by phone at 1-877-262-9575 or online at Ticketmaster.com) free of charge and distributed by mail, will be snapped up quickly.
Unfortunately, eager antiquers hoping for a chance to partake in the festivity had to compete with scalpers for the free tickets last year. Some people who really wanted to attend one of the 2000 tapings ended up actually buying tickets from these unscrupulous individuals. There don't seem to be any guards in place to keep the same thing from happening again in 2001.
And you definitely need an advance ticket to gain entrance to the tapings. No tickets will be distributed at the events. There is a limit of four tickets per household, and each ticket holder must bring at least one item to be appraised to gain admittance to the taping hall.
Appraisals will begin at 8 a.m. and continue throughout the day at each venue. When you order tickets, you'll be given a choice of entrance times at 1 1/2 hour intervals through 3:30 p.m. The event ends when appraisals have been completed for all ticket holders in line. Plan to arrive no earlier than 30 minutes prior to the time stated on your ticket.
All children over the age of 3 need tickets and all children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. If a child under 18 lucks out by bringing an item chosen for taping, a parent's signature is required on a release form. In fact, anyone taped for a televised appraisal must sign a release form.
About 60-70 appraisers in more than 20 different categories will provide verbal assessments. Coins and stamps continue to be the two collecting categories Roadshow appraisers will not cover. Firearms will be open for appraisal at all venues in 2001, but they must be checked by security personnel upon entrance to each event and all local, state, and federal firearms laws apply during the tapings.
Experts employed by Antiques Roadshow see about 700 items each hour on a first-come, first-served basis. How long it actually takes to navigate a line depends on how many people are in front of you. Some categories are more popular than others and require more wait time.
In other words, dress comfortably and plan to be in line for quite some time. Special provisions aren't made for the elderly or physically challenged, but all Roadshow venues are wheelchair accessible.
And if you're taking a large or heavy item, be prepared to transport it yourself on a luggage cart or dolly. No staffers will be on hand to assist with moving.
Lots of rules, lots of restrictions, but with the capacity for thousands of people at each taping, it just makes sense to keep things organized.
Where you can try to catch up with the show:
Click on the city names to obtain more information about the exact location and when tickets will be up for grabs for each taping venue.
Additional resources:
Take a look the Antiques Roadshow's FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for more specific event information.
Find out what to expect during the Antiques Roadshow appraisal process with your guide's report on the 2000 taping in Austin, Texas.
Read about how the city venues are selected for Antiques Roadshow tapings.
Get this month's Roadshow Tip of the Trade provided by the show's appraisers.
Visit the Antiques Bookstore for more information on ordering the Antiques Roadshow Primer, a companion book to the series.
