The treasures arrived in boxes, tote bags, tow-behind dollies, plastic bags, snap-top storage containers, with some wrapped carefully in blankets, newspaper or bubble wraps. After a thorough study by auctioneer/appraisers Bernie Girman and Josh Drasher, some items were worth more and some were worth less than their owners thought they would be.

Either way, the items are still treasures, said Edith Frantz of Kunkletown.“I guess what means a lot to us isn’t worth a lot to sell,” Frantz said. Her Walt Disney windup toy, a rearing horse, complete with rider with a whirring lasso, was valued at about $50. “My husband got it when he was about 4, and it’s been in our china cabinet; it’s worth more to us.”More than 40 people signed up for the third annual antiques appraisal, hosted by Heritage Hill Senior Center in Weatherly. The items they brought were valued at from about $30 to $750, with many falling into the $2-300 range.“We always get a good turnout for this event,” said Heritage Hill marketing director Rachael Kapes. “A couple of the residents brought items, and it’s always very informative and interesting.”People learned more than just the value of the item they brought. In many cases, they learned a little of its history and its approximate age. Girman said that the market for antiques and collectibles is currently down, and that auction values were typically about 60-80 percent of the item’s retail price.Attendees brought a wide variety of items, including a cast-iron child’s toy stove, a European-origin pewter oil lamp, pottery, dolls, beer trays, metal toy vehicles, musical instruments, watches, paintings, lamps, a ’60s-era Detroit Tigers signed baseball, a brass ship’s clock, inkwells and advertising signs.If you have a special item, and find it listed on an auction site, don’t be misled about the price, Girman said.“When you see a price listed for an item, you have to remember that was the asking price,” Girman said. “Look for the actual sold price to get the actual value.”If you missed the event, you can have items appraised by Girman through his website,

www.girmanauctions.com. Girman also named as a resource for artwork the website

www.askart.com.