“Antiques Roadshow” host Gary Piattoni wowed invited guests at Edgemere, Dallas’ premier senior living community, as he inspected dozens of their treasured heirlooms with his magnifying glass. Piattoni’s eye for fine arts, antiques and collectibles landed him his role on PBS’ renowned television series in 1995. Piattoni has also made several appearances on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”over the course of his 25 years of experience in the antique appraisal industry.
“It was an honor to host the very knowledgeable Gary Piattoni, and give guests a chance to have their antiques, heirlooms and flea market finds assessed for their true value,” said John Falldine, managing director of Edgemere. “Piattoni captivated the Edgemere audience with his vast expertise in the appraisal industry.”
According to Piattoni, his favorite part of the session—even more than discovering the value of items—was learning about the history behind family heirlooms and favorite treasures, along with taking questions from the audience. In many cases, Piattoni only confirms what antique owners already suspect—that their ancestor’s prized possessions aren’t worth much money. But sometimes, Piattoni stumbles upon a “gem”.
One attendee brought in a deep blue, Art Deco-inspired vase from approximately 1915, which was originally a wedding gift to her mother. The owner of the vase said the family heirloom was appraised at $15,000 several years ago. Piattoni discovered the vase was made by Durand, and in today’s antique market, the vase is worth an estimated $20,000. A few guests brought in paintings collected from various places—one from a flea market, another a family heirloom and one purchased from a Dallas art gallery decades ago. According to Piattoni’s findings, each painting would likely be worth a few hundred dollars at most. However, the owners agreed that the sentimental value outweighs the monetary worth.
Hosting educational and social events like this one is important to the Edgemere community, as they subscribe to the Masterpiece Living® program philosophy, which embraces healthy living at any age in all regards–physical, spiritual, social and mental.
“The value that Gary Piattoni assigned to the treasures turned out to be less important than the fact that everyone had a wonderful time meeting new friends, and perhaps learning a bit of history along the way,” said Falldine.