 Treasure Hunters Roadshow plans to make a stop in Wapakoneta next week at the Comfort Inn & Suites. The show seeks out antiques and collectibles from toys and coins to musical instruments to artwork. Above, a man looks at a coin during a recent show. Photo provided By KRISTA HAYES
Staff Writer
Wapakoneta residents could find out what treasures are stashed around the community as the Treasure Hunters Roadshow prepares to make a local stop on its nationwide tour.
Scheduled to be held Dec. 8-12 at Comfort Inn & Suites, 1510 Saturn Drive, The Treasure Hunters Roadshow producers plan to dig around the area for five days — from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday — during which local residents will have the chance to talk to world-renowned antique and collectible experts.
“Wapakoneta is the next stop on the Treasure Hunters Roadshow world-wide tour,” Treasure Hunters Roadshow Media Relations Vice President Matthew Enright said. “Wapakoneta’s ties to astronaut Neil Armstrong really helped put it on our radar of locations to stop at during our nationwide tour.
“What it really comes down to as to why Wapakoneta was considered is because of its population size and our efforts to reach more people,” he said. “We’ve done shows in the past close to Wapakoneta and have had more than 2,000 people attend out of a total town population of 3,000 or 4,000 with us being shocked and surprised by some of the things that we’ve seen. We’ve done some research on the community’s demographic and believe the town just might have some really cool items stashed away somewhere.”
During the free event, treasure hunters hope to see more than 1,200 local residents bringing in their collectibles — such as coins and paper currency issued prior to 1965, toys, dolls, trains, vintage jewelry, old and modern musical instruments, war memorabilia, gold and silver jewelry and other items.
Since 1996, the Treasure Hunters Roadshow has visited more than 1,000 cities throughout the United States and Canada and is now expanding into Europe.
Based in Springfield, Ill. and presented by The International Collectors Association, Enright said collectors using the Treasure Hunters Roadshow are serious about their hobby.
“Nearly all coins, vintage jewelry, musical instruments and toys made prior to 1965 are highly sought after by collectors,” Enright said. “The Treasure Hunters Roadshow is a place where anyone in the Wapakoneta community can connect with collectors from around the globe. Our treasure hunters make offers based on what our collectors are willing to pay. When someone decides to sell, they get paid on the spot and our treasure hunters send the item to the collector at their expense.”
Through the years, The Treasure Hunters Roadshow has purchased more than $250 million worth of rare, collectible and precious items.
Enright said recent finds on the nationwide tour have included a 1960s vintage guitar purchased for $100,000, four gold coins purchased from a resident for more than $72,000, Confederate money hidden in the walls of a residence that was uncovered during a remodel and an Abraham Lincoln hand-written thank you letter expressing gratitude for a night’s stay while traveling in Chicago
In addition, Enright said gold will also be purchased during the event.
“Gold is trading at more than $900 per ounce, a 25-year high,” Enright said.
Inside a large conference room, Enright said the Treasure Hunters Roadshow try to create an atmosphere where guests can wait in line while observing other local’s unique items.
He offered some special instructions to help guests experience top dollar offers for their items.
“Residents should not clean any collectible or antique, as doing so could cause serious damage to any finishes or the item itself,” Enright said. “Residents can also bring as many items with them as they want with no limit, and should expect to to wait in lines up to 45 minutes depending on the crowd.”
With many guests leaving the show with hundreds and even thousands of dollars for items they considered junk that was collecting dust, Enright said treasure hunters want Wapakoneta residents to have fun on their search.
“We encourage them to empty out their old jewelry box of broken jewelry, dig out their old teeth containing dental gold, find their gold coins or gold bars, etcetera,” Enright said. “They or their next-door neighbor just might be next to find a jackpot in the attic — so they should start digging now and be ready to have some fun and make some money.”
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