By Sondra Rodriguez, Page Editor
Tom Craig, 1989 ACU alumnus and director of student productions, will appear on the PBS hit television show, Antiques Roadshow.
According to PBS.com, Antiques Roadshow is “part adventure, part history lesson and part treasure hunt.” Each week, 11 million viewers tune in to watch antique specialists travel nationwide, giving free estimates on dealers collectibles. The six-time Emmy nominated show allows dealers to tell the stories behind family heirlooms and antiques while advertising a small business or a particular item.
Craig, owner of The Antique Station located in downtown Abilene, said he will appear on the show in the upcoming weeks with a wall clock that has a unique history.
The clock, an 1870s heirloom from his father, was originally a pub clock purchased while Craig was living in England as a boy.
“Clocks in pubs had no striking mechanism because the pub owner did not want customers to hear the chime of the clock, realize what time it was and leave.”
Craig said the clock itself is impressive in size, which is probably what caught the eye of the dealer from the television show.
“It’s four feet in length, and the cabinets around the face are two feet wide,” he said. “It’s very ornamental. There are lots of carvings.”
These unique characteristics earned the clock a spot on the show.
Craig said his father-in-law won two tickets to the Antiques Roadshow in June and asked him to come along. At a show such as this, dealers bring an antique to discover its worth and tell its story.
The two entered the packed Dallas Convention Center and immediately walked to a desk specifically for antique clocks.
“The appraiser saw the clock and before he said anything to me, he pulled out his cell phone and made a phone call,” Craig said. “I had no idea what he was talking about. For all I know, he could have been asking his wife what to do about supper.”
Fortunately, the dealer had called the show’s producer to say he had found a piece that he thought would do well on the show.
“The producer came over, heard the story and said that it was worth taping.”
Representatives for the show look for both good pieces and good stories, Craig said.
The segment was taped the same month, and Craig said he enjoyed the experience.
“There’s so much information when it comes to antiques,” he said. “One person will never know it all, so when people who have studied and specialized in this share information with you, it really broadens your horizon.
Antiques Roadshow airs Mondays at 7 p.m. on PBS.
