Wonder how much that "attic heirloom" of yours is worth?

Have you ever wondered how much that "attic heirloom" of yours might be worth? You know... that curio that's been in your family for generations? Or maybe it's a yard sale bargain that caught your eye and you just had to have.

Many of us have acquired objects that carry with them a long history. Sometimes we know what that history is, and sometimes we can only speculate. Often, an object has high sentimental value, even if we're not sure of its true dollar value.

How would you react if an appraiser told you that item really is a treasure?

Fans of public television's British and American traveling antiques shows agree that some of the best, most exciting moments are when valuable treasures are unexpectedly discovered. Rhode Island PBS invites you to experience one of those moments for yourself at our own upcoming Antiques Discovery and Appraisal Show in February. And if your item really is a treasure, you could see your story told on television.

This first event of its kind for Rhode Island PBS will be introduced and previewed on Sunday, November 27 at 8 P.M. during the station's broadcast of Antiques Roadshow. Appraisers Richard Conti of Conti Estates in Attleboro and Steven Fusco of Estates Unlimited in Cranston, and television producer Brian Scott-Smith, will describe what you can expect to see and experience at the appraisal event. Richard and Steven will also demonstrate on-the-spot appraisals on the air.

The Antiques Discovery and Appraisal Show itself will be held at Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick Airport Hotel in Warwick, Rhode Island, on Saturday, February 18, 2012, from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. It is designed to provide a special opportunity for the public to bring their objects of unknown or uncertain value to accredited appraisers for written appraisal. Those two features – a written appraisal by an accredited appraiser – distinguish the Antiques Discovery and Appraisal Show from any similar events in the region.

During the event, accredited appraiser Richard Conti and the team of accredited appraisers will mingle with the crowd, searching for hidden treasures. Television producer and show host Brian Scott-Smith will be there with the camera crew to film the discoveries as they are made. Those stories will be edited together to create a television special that will air exclusively on WSBE's two channels: Rhode Island PBS and Learn.

So, your "attic heirloom" may not only enrich you - it could make you famous, too!

We have lots of information about the event already online, with more to come as the date approaches. Visit www.ripbs.org/antiques.

In the meantime, tune in on Sunday, November 27 at 8 P.M.- you can buy your ticket early to lock-in the arrival time of your choice: 9 A.M., 11 A.M. or 2 P.M.

The Antiques Discovery and Appraisal Show is made possible in part by Estates Unlimited, Inc.