Concord museum moving sale reveals little treasures

CONCORD, N.C. — History buffs carried treasure troves out of the Concord Museum this weekend during the moving sale and antiques appraisal.

The move “has given us license take a look at what we are doing and define a clearer focus,” said Michael Eury, executive director of the Historic Cabarrus Association, which includes the Concord Museum.

Many of the items sold were duplicates of books, maps or prints. Some sold originally for as much as $40 and were sold at $5. Some of the books are historical, such as those on the Civil War, but not specific to Concord or Cabarrus County.

“History buffs have been walking out of here with boxes of books,” Eury said.

Lithographs by the late local artist Mel Kester were popular as well.

Eury said part of the aim of the sale is to get items out of storage and into the hands of people who will enjoy them.

A rolling podium, which had belonged to an unspecified Concord church, was purchased by The Speakeasy Alehouse on Union Street. Workers rolled it up the street from the museum into the restaurant and it is now the hostess stand.

“We’re so glad to be able to put it to use and to keep it right here in downtown Concord,” Eury said.

The Concord Museum is moving into the Historic Cabarrus County Courthouse. It is closed now but will reopen April 14, the same day as the Concord History Walk.

“I am so excited about the move,” said Frances Brown, a Cabarrus native who lives in a historic home on Cabarrus Avenue. “I think Michael Eury is best thing to happen here since Lib Davis, who really kept things going.”

Brown bought several items to share with her family, including a map of Concord that shows her home on Depot Street, now Cabarrus Avenue.

The appraisal portion drew more than 50 people in the first hour Friday. Michael Hansen of Mike’s-N-Gayle’s Toys Joys Antiques donated his time and expertise to help raise money for Historic Cabarrus.

Hansen examined many items and carried on conversations with owners much like on the PBS “Antiques Road Show.” Each person donated $10 per item evaluated.

The most valuable appraisal Friday was a pair of hand-painted French vases from the 1870s that Hansen said was worth $15,000 to $20,000 for the set.

Perhaps the most interesting story of the day came when Peter and Linda Davis of Concord brought in items from Japan that had belonged to Peter’s uncle.

The uncle, Peter said he never knew, taught English in Japan for 50 years after World War II and he brought this back to North Carolina. It was passed on to his family with a box of other stuff.

“We wanted to find out more information about and document it for our family,” said Peter, who has no intention of selling.

The Davis’ brought one carved horse of a set of eight. Hansen said it was likely made from walrus or whale bone prior to the 1920s. He said it was likely a commissioned set, while not museum quality, it was very attractive and might sell to a collector for $1200 to $1500.

The other Japanese item was a pre-1900 Shinto deity carving that likely was part of a family’s temple in their home. It was made of bone and would likely sell to a Japanese collector for $200 to $250, Hansen said. For an American collector, it would only be worth around $100.

Some of the proceeds of the sale went to the Coltrane-Harris Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which had items in the museum and warehouse.

The Concord Museum is now closed, while the move to the Historic Courthouse is made.

“It is really an appropriate location,” Eury said of the Historic Courthouse since Historic Cabarrus was formed out of the non-profit movement to save the 1876 courthouse from demolition in 1973, when the current court facility was built. “It is a wonderful landmark.”

WSOC