By: Stephanie Prokop
EAST WINDSOR They brought with them such varied items as sketches, subway signs and World’s Fair tickets.
And local senior citizens then learned their monetary worth.
The Antiques Roadshow program that took place at the Twin Rivers Library on Wednesday was part of an "Aging in Place" Program put on by the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County and was free to all seniors.
Tom Petrino, an antiques dealer and appraiser for the New Jersey Department of Treasury, started the program by comparing the antique business to the stock market in that the value of a specific item can constantly change.
"It’s really all about the supply and demand of certain goods," he said.
"A $300 gold watch can be dropped from an airplane and still retain its intrinsic value," added Mr. Petrino.
Before appraising a table full of such items as china, porcelain figures, jewelry and photos, Ms. Petrino gave a few disclaimers, including that "age does not always denote value," but acknowledged that "what is rare is rare."
He first examined two metal signs brought by township resident Jack Rossman that had denoted a specific part of a New York City subway substation.
Mr. Petrino said the plates each held about $50 to $75 of value. Mr. Rossman said the plates had more sentimental value, as he started working on the New York subway system in the early 1940s as a helper and retired as a supervisor.
The item with the most monetary value was a matted red chalk drawing of a muscular nude man.
The couple who owned the drawing, who wished to remain anonymous, said they acquired the it from a struggling artist’s estate in 1968, and had the sketch matted and framed shortly after.
The couple said they knew little about the artist but did know the person was an "Italian master" and that the sketch was signed and dated in 1540.
Holding the sketch, Mr. Petrino said that while it was impossible to put an exact price tag on the piece, he could estimate by the authenticity of its paper that it could sell for $15,000 to $20,000.
He recommended the couple take it to a silent auction to see specifically what they could get for it.
Another couple contributed a pair of World’s Fair Tickets that they had kept behind a plastic envelope since 1964. Mr. Petrino was surprised to see that the original cost of the tickets, $2, was printed on the front.
"I would say that they would be worth $40 to $50 a pair," he said.
One Twin Rivers resident, who identified herself as only Phyllis, brought in pictures of a hall bench that she claimed was too heavy to bring to the library. Mr. Petrino looked through the pictures and said he could tell the bench was made of oak. Phyllis described the bench as being 47 inches high and 47 inches wide, with a large, drawer underneath the seat. The head rest had ornate carvings and opened up to store clothing within it.
"Now this is a whole other realm, look at that carving," Mr. Petrino said.
He said the bench would probably have a secondary market value of $2,000 to $3,000.
"I really don’t like the bench, I think it’s creepy and scary," said the Twin Rivers resident.
"Although I am excited that it had value, I knew that it did, I just didn’t know how much," she added.
She also brought an African "love-letter sash" made of thread and tiny colored glass beads that African men wore when they were going into battle in the early part of the 1920s.
Mr. Petrino said that he could tell the piece was authentic because of the aging thread, and said it may be worth $400 to $800.
The closing point that Mr. Petrino stressed was perhaps the most important: In order to keep antiques and collectibles at their maximum value, do not clean them without a professional or throw away the original packaging.
"Whatever you do, don’t throw away boxes, because they can often be worth five times the amount that the actual collectible is worth," he said. "If you’re unsure of what you have, don’t try and clean it yourselves."

