On Tuesday, a winding line of people waited outside the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on Museum Hill, each cradling pottery, baskets, rugs and, in one case, a bow swaddled in bubble wrap.

“Someone pre-Columbian? asked a volunteer as she made her way through the people waiting to have items appraised in the Tribal Arts category. “Someone pre-Columbian?

It’s a thought-provoking question, and one that seems appropriate for Antiques Tourthe very first visit to Santa Fe. Across more than 23 categories of items, including textiles, clocks, dolls, collectibles, furniture and books, it’s no surprise that the most frequented in Santa Fe is that of tribal arts.

The show gave away 1,800 pairs of free tickets to the event on Museum Hill. Nearly 10,000 people took part in the competition. Everyone who won a ticket was invited to bring two items for a free verbal approximation of value. But the monetary value is only a fragment of what the long-running PBS show is all about. Everyone hopes they’ve scored a diamond in the rough at a garage sale, but most people want to hear the stories behind their prized possessions.

“The story is king,” said executive producer Marsha Bemko.

She’s been doing the show for over 20 years, but is always very excited to hear the lore behind the items people bring. For her, what gives a piece this special quality is not necessarily its value, but its history. One piece she chose for filming was, unsurprisingly for Santa Fe, an art book by Georgia O’Keeffe. Bemko said the owner, Gail, had worked with O’Keeffe, and recalled how at her home in Abiquiu the artist had white walls and placed white linens on the tables when she wasn’t working. She wanted to lay a white rug, but was afraid it would get dirty.

“And Gail said to him, ‘Well, you can afford to replace him afterwards,'” Bemko told SFR. “It’s worth about $2,500, but the story is priceless.”

SFR brought a vintage evening bag for the full presentation tour experience, and it was not disappointing. The review process is like clockwork: first, you go to “triage”, which, despite its ominous name, is just where a general reviewer reviews your item and determines the appropriate category for it. the best. People line up with makeshift carriers and lumpy, intriguing packages – a crew member recalls an event in Fargo, North Dakota, when a man brought an antique coffin strapped to his back . About 70 reviewers cover all 23 article categories, and they do so for free.

The evening bag was appraised by Steven Porterfield, a textile expert who runs his own vintage clothing boutique in Midland, Texas. He explained that the object was turn-of-the-century German silverware.

“When your grandmother wore this, she would have kept it polished,” Porterfield said, with the slightest reproach. “She would have put one of her beautiful handkerchiefs or a piece of lace or colored fabric inside. Back when it was done, man paid for everything, so you didn’t have to adapt all the things you do today.

He added that the tarnished look is actually in vogue now, as “young people” prefer vintage vibes. Absolved!

Artist Tony Abeyta was working on the tribal arts table, examining jewelry, pottery, stone, and more.

“I’ve seen some pretty amazing stuff, some not-so-good stuff, and questionable facsimiles of genuine art,” he laughed. “I was just looking at a collection of baskets but can’t rate them because the artists are good friends of mine.”

There was also a plethora of Navajo rugs, many dating from the 1970s and woven in Gallup, Abeyta’s hometown. For these, he said, value often comes down to condition or rarity: early paintings or important transitional works from before the turn of the century. But again, it’s not just about value.

“The background is part of what makes it special every time,” Abeyta said, “Like when someone moves and they throw it in the trash and you’re like, ‘Hey, let’s me having that “and it ends up being something remarkable.”

Antiques tour was originally supposed to come to Santa Fe in 2020, but the pandemic threw a spanner in the works. For its 25th season, the show was unable to hold events like the one in Santa Fe due to COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, producers reached out to celebrities and sent small teams home, where actors, comedians, authors, Olympic figure skaters, musicians and others shared stories of their favorite things, and presentation tour reviewers offered historical insights.

The delay hasn’t dulled anyone’s excitement, at least in Santa Fe. Some people have been saving special items since 2020, hoping the show would end up here. Episodes produced here will air nationally on PBS in 2023 as part of the show’s 27th season. Each city the show visits on this tour will have a three-episode series.