Summerlin-area antiques are nonprofit’s latest offering
Dinosaurs & Roses, a Las Vegas nonprofit group dedicated to helping those in need, is bringing antiques to the Summerlin area to celebrate the opening of its newest adventure. The new arm of the organization is simply called the Attic.
An appraisal open to the public (think “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS) is planned for 1-3 p.m. Feb. 19 at Market LV, part of Tivoli Village. There is a $10 fee, which will go toward the group’s outreach efforts. It will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
Founder Michele Morgan showed off some items for sale in Dinosaurs & Roses’ Attic. There was a wooden table with an octagon top and four drawers on opposing corners, known as a rent table.
“It’s called a rent table because you’d get paid every week and so you’d open a drawer and put your rent money in. So you’d have one, two three, four drawers for your rent money. In the 1920s, if your rent was, say, $50, you’d put $12.50 in each one and you’d have your rent for the month,” she said.
The table was from the estate of a woman who was 105 when she died.
“It’s one of our rare finds,” Morgan said.
From the 1940s, there was a pair of binoculars made in France. Another item was a wall-mount eagle, used to top doorways or large portraits. There was an oversized ornate mirror made by Turner.
A buffet from the 1930s had inlaid wood, and the inner shelves had a gutter for the lips of plates to be displayed.
Carole Molchany of Molchany Antiques Appraisals will oversee the Attic’s appraisal . She has been an appraiser since 2002.
“You never know what someone will bring you,” she said. “Sometimes they believe it has history and it turns out to be something that’s been mass-produced. Or it could be a one-of-a-kind item.”
She has acquired two one-of-a-kinds of her own: a blueprint for Desilu Studios owned by husband-and-wife stars Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. It was acquired for 10 cents and a “woolie” — embroidered art done by sailors in the 1800s.
Molchany also will have her book available, “The Silence Speaks Volumes.”
Morgan decided to add the Attic to Dinosaurs & Roses just before Christmas. It was prompted by patron interest in the single bookcase that held antiques.
“A lot of the local clientele would come in and ask us, ‘I see you have antiques; do you have furniture?’ Well, we did, but in a storage area,” she said.
She dedicated one of her five spaces at MarketLV, about 1,000 square feet, to antiques.
Morgan has other items in storage so when one piece sells, it will be replaced with a new one. She will take requests and keep an eye out for particular items.
“I’ve always loved antiques. I think they are treasures that give a home dignity and a feel of nostalgia,” Morgan said. “We all have grandmothers, memories from years past that strike a meaning of comfort with us.”
Dinosurs & Roses joined Market LV in October 2015, beginning with one space. Morgan said the Attic eventually will comprise 25 percent of the business.
Knickknacks such as a piece of milk glass can sell for $3, while pieces such as furniture can go for $3,000. All proceeds go toward the nonprofit’s outreach programs, which help provide immediate necessities to those in need.
If antiques are not your thing, Morgan also has new items from the World Market Center.
“You never know what’s going to find its way here,” Morgan said.
To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.