Appraisal fair benefits museum

     I mentioned weeks ago that it was coming, and now it's around the block. The "Old is Gold" antique appraisal fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at the Sun City MacDonald Ranch clubhouse.
      Why am I touting this? Do I have a hidden interest? You bet.
      All proceeds from the event benefit the MacDonald Center for Ancient History Movable Museum Project.
      The movable museum, built into a 40-foot-long recreational vehicle, will work in tandem with school districts statewide as an educational tool. The hope is that the hands-on displays will foster an interest in ancient history in fourth-graders, which is the level it will target. (Teach a child about archaeology and she will dig it the rest of her life.)
      This concept has been a big hit in New York City, where the American Museum of Ancient History is outfitting its third bus. The vehicles travel from school to school in the inner city, opening up a new world to children who look at pigeon bones as an artifact.
      The Los Angeles Museum of Ancient History has a similar project, utilizing two semitrailers as their vehicle of choice.
      Rich MacDonald, founder of the center, has dubbed the mobile project the centerpiece of the Education Committee, which is working on the dioramas that will depict the Fertile Crescent, ancient China and prehistoric Southwest.
      As a member of the Archaeological Institute of America, I am thrilled that this museum will be available for residents of the Las Vegas Valley. The educational opportunities for youngsters are myriad, not to mention the enjoyment it will offer to adults.
      That brings us to the bottom line, which is money. It's always about money.
      The bus costs $89,000 -- that's after Andy Wheeler negotiated with Winnebago to lower the price $28,000. Wheeler has been very generous with his help for this project. That's Andy, not Bud, although Bud does dig bones.
      The bus has been ordered and is expected to be in Las Vegas in time for the fund-raising golf tournament at DragonRidge Golf Course, scheduled for May 18. But that's another story.
      Back in antique-land, five people from Butterfield & Butterfield will be on hand Friday to appraise the treasures of Las Vegas Valley residents. Admission to the show is free, but there will be a $15 charge for each piece being appraised. Each attendee is allowed a maximum of three pieces, which must be small enough to be carried.
      Because I come from a long line of pack rats, I've been examining the junk that my ancestors have passed down, hoping there's something in some box that will become my retirement piece.
      A limit of three pieces per person. Aaaarrrrrgh! How do I cull the wheat from the chaff? How do I know the wheat from the chaff if I don't have it appraised? Of course, my husband can carry three, so that makes six. Perhaps I could enlist the services of my next-door neighbor ... come to think of it, she has a house full of her own junk, er, treasures.
      I'm going to be running around wearing a fashionable bright-yellow T-shirt during this event to identify me as one of the board of director members who was prevailed upon to help with crowd control. If you see me (I'm the old, fat woman), come over and say "hi."
      Gather up your "treasures." I'll see you Friday.
      Carmel Hopkins, Real Estate Product Manager for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun, can be reached at 380-4574. Her e-mail address is Carmel_Hopkins@lasvegasnewspapers.com. Snail mail is P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.

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