Collectorshoping to cash in
at PI roadshow
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
PRESQUE ISLE – Looking for a little extra cash as we head into the holiday season? Residents are encouraged to raid their closets, attics, basements – and anywhere else they may store their unique collectibles – and sell the items to collectors from around the world.
The Ohio Valley Refinery & Roadshow travels across the globe in search of rare and unique items and will be stopping in the Star City this week giving people the opportunity to sit with experts from around the world and sell their items to collectors.
The Ohio Valley Refinery & Roadshow will be at the Presque Isle Inn & Convention Center Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
“Collectors are very serious about their hobby and will pay a lot of money for the items they are looking for,” said Matthew Enright, vice president of media relations for Ohio Valley. “Nearly all coins and paper currency, vintage jewelry, war memorabilia, musical instruments and toys made prior to 1965 are highly sought after by collectors. The Ohio Valley Refinery & Roadshow is a place where anyone in the community can connect with collectors from around the globe.
“We’ve never been to Presque Isle before,” he said. “We have event coordinators that plan our appearances, and a lot of it has to do with the population of the town, the circulation of the newspaper, and some historical research goes into these towns, as well. All of those factors were looked at in helping us decide to come to Presque Isle.”
The Ohio Valley Refinery & Roadshow has its own refinery and will also be looking to buy all types of gold, silver and platinum.
“With the price of gold continuing to rise, people are cashing in their old jewelry and scrap gold to make a few extra dollars in this tough economy,” Enright said. “Refineries typically do not do business with the public; rather, they deal with precious metal accumulators like jewelry stores, pawn shops, dentist offices or industrial facilities that trade with some form of precious metal.
“All local area businesses that deal with precious metals are encouraged to call ahead and make an appointment with one of our representatives,” he said. “There are no appointments needed for the general public to sell their pieces.”
The event is free event and people can bring in unlimited items.
“We’ve actually had people bring truckloads before,” said Enright. “People can bring in just about anything they think has value and they can talk to real-life experts and find out what their stuff is worth. You also can get paid right on the spot. Instead of sending your gold to a company that’s across the country; you get to sit and talk with somebody, find out what it’s worth, and they’ll pay you then and there.”
Enright said some people’s “trash” has truly become others’ “treasures.”
“We actually just paid a gentleman $100,000 for a Gibson guitar a few months ago in Brookings, S.D.,” he said. “A few recent residents have sold items to our collectors including a rare gold coin collection purchased for $107,000, a Civil War pistol used during battle for $40,000, and a letter written by George Washington to the doctor of his wife expressing his disdain toward the doctor’s actions regarding the treatment of his wife.
“At a recent show in Ohio, a local resident brought in a letter from Abraham Lincoln that she thought was a fake for over 15 years. She brought it into the show and walked out $25,000 richer after finding out it was an authentic letter,” said Enright. “These stories happen every day and they can happen in Presque Isle this week. You might say to yourself, ‘Well I don’t have an Abraham Lincoln letter or sword from the Civil War,’ … but everyone has some sort of broken jewelry or old coins from 1964 or before and they are extremely sought after. Millions of dollars are paid out every single year for these collectibles.”
Collectors expect upwards of $300,000 to be distributed to local residents this week for antiquities, collectibles, and gold and silver items.
“Over 85 percent of the people that come in actually walk out with a check,” Enright said. “We have over 10,000 collectors in our database that are looking for different types of items whether it’s something from World War I, World War II, an old painting, a baseball card or something like that. The chances are very likely that people will walk away with some money and not walk away empty-handed.”
The Presque Isle Inn & Convention Center is located at 116 Main St.
